From Buying a Tesla to Giving Away iPhones — 3 Times When ‘Make in India’ Was Ridiculed by Indian Politicians, Turning the Situation Into a Case of ‘the Pot Calling the Kettle Black’

Key Points:

Nearly a decade after the launch of the Make in India initiative by the Government of India in 2014, the target set at the time still remains a staggering distance away. The initiative was introduced to promote the manufacturing, assembling, and overall development of products in India.

As part of the initiative, a target was set that by the year 2022, the manufacturing sector would contribute 25% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The target year was later revised to 2025.

Jump to the present — the manufacturing sector currently accounts for 17–18% of the GDP in 2025. Amidst the continuous chanting of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, there have been many instances where political leaders and government officials found themselves in situations best described as “the pot calling the kettle black.”

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From wearing a branded Louis Vuitton scarf to buying a Tesla EV for dropping grandchildren — these instances have invited widespread criticism. 

In September 2025, the opposition called out Maharashtra Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik when he brought Tesla’s Model Y for his grandson. Sarnaik thus became the first Indian to make the purchase, which was worth ₹62 lakh for the electric SUV. He bought the vehicle from Tesla’s showroom at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

According to reports, he had previously vowed to purchase the car when it was released in India, shortly after the Tesla showroom was inaugurated. True to his word, he celebrated the milestone of becoming the first Indian to buy a Model Y electric car and took to X to share the moment. He stated that he did not avail any discount and paid the full amount for the car, which is “environmentally friendly.”

“I have not taken any discount while buying the car and paid the full amount. I’m going to gift this car to my grandson,” said Sarnaik.

While the official account of Tesla congratulated the Shiv Sena leader for the purchase, many users called him out for his hypocrisy. One user on X slammed the minister, saying that the purchase could have been of a Mahindra Electric car instead of a Tesla.

Another wrote, “The PM has been telling us to support Indian manufacturers, Sir. #Swadeshi and all that. Maybe he didn’t include his Ministers in his speech? Possible, no?”

Sarnaik shared his excitement after making the purchase by posting photographs of himself with the white Model Y. The caption of the post read, “A new milestone towards green mobility – proud to welcome Tesla home!” Many criticized the minister for promoting hypocrisy instead of supporting the idea of Make in India.

After Sarnaik purchased the electric car, Siddharth Jain, Executive Director of the INOX Group, followed suit. He shared the news on X, tagging tech tycoon Elon Musk to express his excitement about buying “India’s first Tesla.”

The Make in India initiative has also been subjected to an imagery of deception and contradiction. In 2023, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was widely criticized for his choice of clothing when he wore a Louis Vuitton scarf worth ₹56,332 to a Parliament meeting.

The attachment to international brands reached new heights when, in another instance, all members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly received brand-new iPhone 16 Pro devices. All 70 members were handed Apple iPhones as part of a paperless initiative launched by the government. Members, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, were also given tablets and iPads along with the iPhones.

As the Make in India initiative marks a decade since its launch, a question arises — has the initiative been implemented through a selective prism, one that does not bind everyone across the spectrum?

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