India eyes own tunnel boring machines as China curbs exports: Goyal

India will develop its own tunnel-boring machines if China stops supplying the critical equipment, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, emphasising that the country will not compromise its strategic interests to secure access to essential technologies.
Speaking at the Young Leaders Discourse Forum at Kirori Mal College in New Delhi, Goyal said India was capable of developing indigenous alternatives rather than depending on other countries for critical equipment."If they don't give us tunnel-boring machines, we will develop it in," he said.His remarks come amid China's fresh export restrictions on tunnel-boring machines, with new export-licensing requirements scheduled to take effect from November 18. The equipment is essential for major infrastructure projects, including underground metro rail networks and road tunnels.

#WATCH | Delhi | At the Young Leaders Discourse Forum at Kirori Mal College, Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, "Today, you go anywhere in the world, you are respected... They remember and recognise that in difficult times, India came to their rescue, be it a rich country or a less developed country. Whether it was COVID, when we provided vaccines to the world, along with ensuring free vaccines for every Indian. Whether it's the provision of medicines or relief and rehabilitation at the time of any crisis, India is always at the forefront to support any country in need... Last year we had a record export of $863 billion, an all-time record... Earlier in this year, in April - May, we were trying to set out a target for ourselves for this year. The global trade was expected to grow by 1.9 per cent, as per IMF projections. They have recently revised it, and India's own performance may be a reason why this got revised to somewhere around three and a half per cent now... We kept a target of $1 trillion in exports for the current year, 16% growth, and I am happy to share with you that, in the last months, we have grown by 14% in our exports."

— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2026

Goyal also highlighted India's efforts to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth materials, noting that domestic startups were developing alternative technologies."When they stopped rare earths, we did not go begging to them. I had a meeting with all of our startups and encouraged them that why can't we make our motors without rare earths," the Minister said.
He added that some startups had already started manufacturing rare earth-free motors with comparable quality and efficiency.Rare earth elements are essential inputs for several strategic and industrial sectors, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics and defence equipment. China dominates global processing and supply chains for several of these critical materials, making diversification of supplies an important priority for countries seeking to strengthen their manufacturing capabilities.
However, Goyal clarified that India did not want to damage its relationship with China and remained open to maintaining positive bilateral ties."India doesn't want to spoil relations with anyone, even with China. Our relationship is good even today. If more hurdles that come up, then the relationship will get better," he said.The Minister's remarks highlight the government's focus on strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities while maintaining trade and diplomatic engagement with other countries. India has been increasingly working to reduce import dependence in strategically important sectors as it expands investments in infrastructure, defence production, electronics and advanced manufacturing.

(Business Correspondent)