Chinese made Ganesha idols

Chinese made Ganesha idols refers to recurring political objections in India to the importation and sale of mass-produced idols of Ganesha manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

Indian political leaders and trade bodies have periodically raised concerns over the growing availability of low-cost imports with remarks often framed in the context of the Government of India's Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, which aim to promote domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports.

In particular objections to Chinese-manufactured Ganesha idols have been voiced by senior officials of the Government of India in different years:

• On June 3, 2015, then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar spoke at a seminar on the government's Make in India initiative. Parrikar remarked that the eyes of some Ganesha idols were "becoming smaller and smaller" and joked that one he received as a gift and inspected was labeled "Made in China". The audience laughed uproariously.^[1]
• On June 25, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman questioned why India was importing even Ganesha idols from China despite the government's push for self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Speaking to party workers in Tamil Nadu, she said that while importing raw materials not available domestically could spur production and create jobs, imports that did not support employment and growth were counterproductive.^[2]
• On May 26, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew attention to imported goods during a public rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, specifically highlighting “small-eyed” Ganesha idols from China as an example. He urged traders to stop selling foreign products and instead support the country's economy through the Make in India initiative, humorously noting that some idols’ eyes “don’t even open properly.” The audience responded with laughter.^[3] The remarks drew criticism from columnist Derek O’Brien, who argued that by joking about “small-eyed” Ganesh idols, Prime Minister Modi was propagating a harmful stereotype and perpetuating the marginalization of people from Northeast India.^[4]