India open for biz, really? Modi should practice what he preaches on trade

India, of all countries, should need no reminding of the damage protectionism can do

At Davos in January, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was open for business and even likened protectionism to terrorism. This month his government raised tariffs on nearly 50 product groups, from clocks and kites to TV and auto components. The measures follow new duties imposed in December on electronic goods such as mobile phones and microwave ovens.

The idea is to give reeling local industries a respite from cheap Chinese imports. Temporary protection, says the government, will let local companies grow into viable competitors that can stand on their own. Plausible as this may sound, not least to