Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during a recent event at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, asserted that India and the West have "handed over" production to China, impacting job creation and fueling political turbulence across democracies. He argued that the dominance of "Made in China" goods has crippled job creation in India, the United States, and Europe.

Gandhi highlighted the necessity for production within a democratic environment to sustain itself by producing goods. He has been a vocal critic of the Indian government's economic policies, particularly concerning the manufacturing sector. Earlier in December, during a visit to the BMW World museum in Munich, he stated that manufacturing is declining in India, which is detrimental to economic growth and job creation. He stressed the need to build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems to accelerate growth and create high-quality jobs at scale.

Gandhi's comments have sparked debate, with BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari refuting the claims as "fake news". Critics have accused Gandhi of undermining the country's progress while overseas and ignoring advancements in sectors like electronics and renewable energy. Some have also questioned the appropriateness of commenting on domestic policy from foreign soil. Supporters, however, argue that his statements highlight critical gaps in technology absorption, workforce training, and long-term planning within India's manufacturing sector.

Gandhi has also accused the Modi government of promoting monopolies and destroying Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which he believes weakens the economy and leads to unemployment. He has advocated for shifting economic control back to MSMEs to create jobs and provide affordable options to the public. Gandhi has criticized the complexity of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for small businesses and alleged that the government favors large corporations.

In Berlin, Gandhi also alleged that the BJP is aiming to eliminate the Constitution and its principles of equality, accusing the party of capturing India's institutional framework. He described this as a "full-scale assault" on the nation's democracy. He argued that Indian democracy is a global asset and that attacks on it impact the global democratic system.