Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian groups urge boycott of Chinese goods over stance on Masood Azhar

AN INFLUENTIAL Indian traders body called yesterday (14) for a boycott of Chinese goods, to slap Beijing for blocking a move to put a Pakistani militant leader on a UN terrorist list following a suicide attack last month.

Regarded by Pakistan as its most reliable friend, China has repeatedly thwarted efforts to implement UN sanctions against Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the group that claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 40 paramilitary police in Kashmir.


The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which represents 70 million traders, said it would burn Chinese goods on March 19 to "teach a lesson" to China.

"The time has come when China should suffer due to its proximity with Pakistan," CAIT said in a statement.

"The CAIT has launched a national campaign to boycott Chinese goods among the trading community of the country, calling the traders not to sell or buy Chinese goods."

Mounting impatience with Beijing's stance was evident on social media on Thursday (14) as #BoycottChineseProducts was the second-highest trending hashtag on Twitter in India.

The leader of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a group with close ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also called for a boycott of Chinese goods.

He also wrote to prime minister Narendra Modi recommending that India hit Beijing with higher tariffs.

"Government of India needs to take immediate action to raise tariff duties on all Chinese imports," Ashwani Mahajan said in the letter.

"China, which is already under economic stress, thanks to trade war initiated by US and other trade partners of China, will definitely realise the implications of the unjust action of protecting terrorists."

India's trade ministry said in an email the country can't take any unilateral punitive action against a fellow member of the World Trade Organization.

A senior government official, who refused to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media, said there has been a move to "restrict" Chinese imports but that India was not in a position to replace products such as electronics

Finance minister Arun Jaitley warned against any hasty reaction.

"It's a diplomatic issue, and India will take a decision after a careful thought," Jaitley told CNN-News18. "We're not a small player on the global stage, but foreign policy issues are tackled in a measured way, not in a knee-jerk manner."

With just weeks to go before a general election, India's main opposition Congress party said Modi's attempts to improve ties with China were not yielding results.

"Weak Modi is scared of Xi. Not a word comes out of his mouth when China acts against India," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter, referring to Chinese president Xi Jinping.

China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed message seeking comment on the boycott calls.

Renu Kohli, an independent economist in New Delhi, doubted whether any boycott would hit critical mass.

"It's going to fizzle out sooner or later when the consumer realises that their pocket is being hit by costlier domestic products," said Kohli.

(Reuters)

More For You

Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trade talks with US moving forward positively, says Indian minister Goyal

INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.

He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Economy shows no growth in July amid political turbulence

UK's ECONOMY showed no growth in July, according to official data released on Friday, adding to a difficult week for prime minister Keir Starmer’s government.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product was flat in July, following a 0.4 per cent rise in June.

Keep ReadingShow less
India’s IT sector

India’s $283 billion IT industry, which contributes more than 7 per cent to the country’s GDP, has for over three decades provided services to major clients including Apple, American Express, Cisco, Citigroup, FedEx and Home Depot.

iStock

India’s IT sector faces uncertainty as US proposes 25 per cent outsourcing tax

INDIA’s IT sector is facing uncertainty as US lawmakers consider a 25 per cent tax on companies using foreign outsourcing services.

Analysts and lawyers said the proposal has led to customers delaying or re-negotiating contracts, raising concerns in India, the world’s largest outsourcing hub.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Reeves

'Our economy isn't broken, but it does feel stuck,' Reeves said, speaking alongside the release of a finance ministry report on business property taxation, known as rates.

Getty Images

Reeves signals possible changes to business property taxes ahead of budget

CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves said on Thursday she is considering changes to business property taxes to support small firms looking to expand, as part of her plans to boost growth.

Reeves’ comments come ahead of her annual budget on November 26, at a time when concerns about possible tax rises and inflation are weighing on businesses and households.

Keep ReadingShow less