New Delhi, Dec 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Modi government of creating monopolies and duopolies across industries, asserting that the economic reins of India must be returned to MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) to ensure equitable growth.
Speaking during the Winter Session of Parliament, Gandhi shared his interaction with a delegation of small and medium ice cream manufacturers, highlighting how government policies favor large industrialists while small businesses struggle under heavy taxation and regulatory burdens.
“Monopoly or duopoly is a curse for India, and the Modi government has been promoting this in every sector,” Gandhi said in a statement on his WhatsApp channel. “During the Jan Sansad, I met small and medium-sized ice cream manufacturers. Listening to their challenges made it clear that the government prioritizes large corporates over small businesses.”
Gandhi noted that these small manufacturers serve India’s poor and lower-middle-class consumers, employing millions across the country. He criticized the exclusion of ice cream producers from the GST composition scheme, coupled with rising fees in BJP-ruled states and municipalities, which has left small businesses collapsing.
“This pattern is repeated across sectors,” Gandhi alleged. “Only the Prime Minister’s favored monopolists survive, gaining unchecked market control, while small businesses are systematically crushed.”
He emphasized the critical role of MSMEs in generating employment and providing affordable goods and services, calling for policies that empower small and medium enterprises as equal partners in India’s economic growth.
“Monopolies weaken the market, destroy opportunities for young people, and concentrate power in the hands of a few. It is time to return economic control to MSMEs, so the public gets choice, youth get jobs, and small businesses thrive,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader also pointed to large conglomerates such as Adani and Ambani as beneficiaries of this system, warning that the widespread creation of monopolies could jeopardize the country’s economic stability and employment prospects.
Gandhi concluded by urging that small and medium industries be prioritized, highlighting their essential role in India’s growth and their need for protection from policies that favor monopolistic practices.