China flavour in Punjab MSMEs' poll season bucket list

Many believe that political parties are keen to bring big corporates and new industries, with not much thought for existing enterprises

As Punjab goes to polls on Sunday, small and medium businesses in the industrial town of Ludhiana—often referred to as India’s Manchester--are vocal about concerns like import from China even while grappling with the local issues.   

“We depend on China for importing raw material for so many things. You can find any quality of products from China," says Parveen Gulati, owner of a zip manufacturing firm in Ludhiana.

China resonates in other conversations as well. D S Chawla, president of United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers’ Association (UCPMA), points out that India is the second-largest producer of cycles, but the