Goyal: India to Build Tunnel Boring Machines If China Stops Supply

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, 3 November, that India will develop tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at home if China stops supplying them. Speaking at the Young Leaders Discourse Forum organised by Kirori Mal College in Delhi, he said: “If they (China) don’t give tunnel boring machines, we will develop in India.” Business Standard reported the remarks as China tightens controls on exports of the machines.

Rare Earths Are the Bigger Worry

Goyal said India also wants to cut its dependence on China for other critical inputs, including rare earths. He said he met start-ups after Beijing’s curbs on some rare earth products and magnets, and urged them to build motors that do not use rare earths. “Some start-ups have started producing motors without rare earth of equal quality and equal efficiency,” he said.

The government has announced a Rs 7,280 crore scheme to set up 6,000 tonnes a year of integrated rare-earth permanent magnet manufacturing capacity in India. A parliamentary committee has separately flagged India’s reliance on China-dominated supply chains for rare earths and critical minerals.

Also read China Curbs Tunnel Boring Machine Exports, Indian Projects in Focus

Ties With Beijing Described as Good

Goyal said relations with China “remain good” and could improve further if no new hurdles come up. Ties worsened after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. TBMs matter for metro, rail and road tunnel projects, which dig through conditions ranging from hard rock to water-saturated soil.

No Timeline Yet

The reports of his speech do not give a timeline, budget or manufacturer for an Indian TBM. For his other remarks the same day on GM imports and dairy in trade deals, see IPB’s report on Goyal’s comments on GM products, and the latest stories in Daily Updates.

Source: Based on reporting by Business Standard and Punjab News Express.

Image: PTI.