Commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Monday voiced the need to go local even if the products were a bit costlier as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat programme and stressed the need for quality products, indirectly hitting out at China. The government is preparing a list of finished goods from China whose imports could be restricted as tension heightens between the two Asian neighbours.

“Even if a domestic quality product is a bit costlier than the imported one, it is sensible to buy the Indian item…. in the long run people could have to pay a ‘terrible price’ if they do not buy quality Indian goods,” Goyal said at a CII function.

In a veiled reference to China, Goyal said a lot of sub-standard imports are coming into the country and one needs to bring back quality culture in the country and stop buying such sub-standard products.

“I think a lot of people have not appreciated that our government is giving priority to high-quality standards....(But) India has finally evolved and has made up its mind that we are going to only accept good quality products,” he added.

The minister said the government has to balance security concerns and the opening up of the economy. “FDI is welcome, but we certainly have to take precautions that we do not get the wrong type of capital which is opportunist and which is not really good for the nation,” Goyal said.

Officials said at a recent meeting attended by officials of the finance and commerce ministries in the PMO, there were discussions on ways to promote Atma Nirbhar Bharat, including cutting import dependence from China.

Industry has also been asked to send the number of goods and raw materials imported from China.