India will develop tunnel-boring machines if China halts supplies, says Piyush Goyal
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India will develop and manufacture tunnel-boring machines domestically if China stops supplying them, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, asserting that the country would not depend on Beijing for the equipment.
Speaking at the Young Leaders Discourse Forum at Kirori Mal College, Goyal said India did not want to damage its relations with China but would pursue domestic manufacturing if supplies were restricted.
“We do not wish to spoil relations with anyone; even today, our relations with China remain good. But if they refuse to provide tunnel-boring machines, we will develop them ourselves in India,” he said.
Goyal also cited India's response to China's restrictions on rare earth exports, saying the government had approached startups to explore alternatives. Some Indian startups had begun manufacturing motors without rare earth materials, offering comparable quality and efficiency, he said.
His remarks come days after reports that China was tightening export controls on construction equipment, including tunnel-boring machines used in road, railway and metro projects. The new licensing requirements, which also cover certain spare parts, are scheduled to take effect on November 18.
China has cited the potential military and civilian applications of the equipment as the reason for the restrictions.
India is a major buyer of Chinese tunnel-boring machines and has been expanding infrastructure along its Himalayan border. China accounts for around 70% of the global market for the machines, according to figures cited by Bloomberg.
India has faced supply delays before. In 2024, China delayed German company Herrenknecht's efforts to sell the machines for projects including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and Delhi Metro.
Experts have warned that restrictions on spare parts could affect machines already in operation. Ajay Srivastava of the Global Trade Research Initiative said regular supplies were necessary because the equipment faced heavy wear and tear.