This refers to T Mukherjee’s article “Can India dare export to China?” (January 5). It helps break some myths surrounding China’s “low cost manufacturing prowess”. While it is true that China’s large production volume (including components) has helped reduce the total costs, it is also a known fact that it has been able to “market” products better. China is a brand in itself, and it has been able to sell without any advertising — but mostly through word-of-mouth. However, a weakness that Indian manufacturers can exploit is Chinese products’ poor reputation for quality. If India can give even a slightly higher priced product of better quality, then in the not-too-distant future, the country stands a chance of not only standing on its own feet in the world market but also exporting to China.
S S Gupta Kolkata
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