Nitin Gadkari’s ‘Amrutanjan Balm’ jibe for carmakers

In yet another instance of speaking his mind at a public event, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recounted how he had once chided a major Indian car manufacturer for including a bottle of Amrutanjan balm with their cars due to poor design. "One of the big manufacturers in India is a friend. I won’t mention his name. I told him once that along with a car, his company should also give a bottle of Amrutanjan balm (to the buyer) because the design is bad,” Gadkari revealed.

The minister said he had scolded several top automakers in India, urging them to focus more on delivering better quality products, rather than just cutting costs.

However, Gadkari acknowledged the substantial improvements made by the Indian automotive sector. "I am very happy that all of them have improved and launched such good products that they have reduced the market share of foreign companies and increased the share of Indian companies by 5-7 per cent," he added.

Praising the progress, Gadkari highlighted how Indian manufacturers have enhanced their designs and product quality, making them more competitive in both the domestic and international markets.

“With the support and cooperation of the automobile companies, we want to make the Indian automobile industry number one in the world within five years,” Gadkari stated. He urged manufacturers to continue pushing boundaries and focus on delivering high-quality, eco-friendly products to achieve this vision.