62% Indians chose 'Made in China' products in last 12 month: Survey

Meanwhile, 20 per cent of Indian smartphone users said they have one or more Chinese apps installed

In terms of its trade relation with India, China seems to be having its cake and eating it too. According to a report by LocalCircles, a community social media platform, 62 per cent of Indians said that they purchased 'Made in China' products in the past 12 months. Among the goods purchased, gadgets and mobile accessories claim the top position with 55 per cent respondents indicating that they bought goods that belong to this category.

 

The survey received responses from over 39,000 people from 387 districts across India. What's noteworthy is that the development comes despite repeated calls from different industry bodies to boycott Chinese goods. Moreover, given the tit-for-tat tariff war between the US and China, the Indian government is considering setting up a monitoring mechanism to prevent dumping.

   

Beyond economic implications

Economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the report highlights, has flagged that beyond economic implications, the influx of Chinese products also poses risks to national security. Recent moves by the Indian government, including blocking about 500 Chinese apps and restricting Chinese vendors in surveillance equipment supply chains, signal a tightening stance.

 

However, some experts expect India to become a bigger market for Chinese goods, which they say could be beneficial if it boosts domestic manufacturing for re-exports, including to the US, the report added. In response to escalating trade tensions between the US and China, India also anticipates a potential surge in Chinese exports being redirected to its markets. To address this, the government has established a monitoring cell within the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to oversee import patterns and provide assistance to exporters and importers. If any unusual surge is reported, the commerce ministry can take action such as imposing anti-dumping or safeguard duties.

 

Lagging exports to China

 

Another data that the report highlights is that between 2019 and 2024, India's exports to China remained largely unchanged at approximately $16 billion per year. In contrast, imports from China grew significantly — from $70.3 billion in 2018–19 to more than $101 billion in 2023–24 — leading to a cumulative trade deficit of over $387 billion over that five-year period.

 

Survey highlights:

• Percentage of Indians buying one or more Chinese products has risen from 55 per cent to 62 per cent in the past year.
• Festive items, consumer electronics, fashions products, home products and toys saw a significant boost.
• 20 per cent of Indian smartphone users surveyed stated that they have one or more Chinese apps installed. Of that number, 9 per cent currently have the Chinese AI app DeepSeek on their phones, while 3 per cent of them indicated that they “haven’t yet but will do soon”.
• 70 per cent of respondents said that they are not likely to buy Chinese brands via Indian partnerships. Only 15 per cent said that they buy Chinese products when they partner with Indian entities and will continue to do so.
• Umbrellas is where China dominates, with over 95.8 per cent of these imported from there.
• Similarly, China supplies 91.9 per cent of artificial flowers and human hair articles.