In February 2020, a Chinese ship was detained at Gujarat's Kandla Port for allegedly mis-declaring an autoclave, which can be used to launch ballistic missiles, as an ‘industrial dryer’.
For an industry globally classified as hazardous, protections such as health insurance and a provident fund for workers are necessities. In Sivakasi, they remain elusive.
The industry forecasts exports are set to grow 16% in 2025-26, boosted by surplus domestic production and a drive to push into 26 underserved global markets with strong potential.
Indigenisation level will progressively increase up to 60 percent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
But why do these ships touch Indian ports? Might as well head to Karachi directly from China in this instance.