'China Had A Free Pass, India Won’t': Sunil Mittal Explains Why India Will Still Win Global Trade

China had decades of export-led growth without resistance. India will not. That was the stark message from Sunil Bharti Mittal at Davos. The billionaire industrialist said global trade rules have hardened, but India’s moment is still coming. Addressing the World Economic Forum, Mittal stressed that India’s rise to a top-three global economy is inevitable, but only if it builds massive scale. With a consumer base of 1.5 billion, accelerating infrastructure and manufacturing capacity, India now negotiates from strength, not dependency. Mittal said India’s early push on digital infrastructure and public investment has created resilience as tariff walls rise. Even with uncertainty around US trade policy, he believes India will secure balanced outcomes — not because the world is kind, but because India’s scale makes it unavoidable.TOI Bharat delivers the latest news, biggest voices, sharpest views and in-depth coverage of India’s political, social and economic landscape. Stay updated will all things making news in India and the subcontinent. We keep you informed. Your Nation. Your Voice .