The article “Dark factories vs. factories in the dark” presents an admiring portrait of China’s technological rise while portraying India as a chaotic, dysfunctional nation incapable of competing. While China’s achievements deserve recognition, the article relies heavily on exaggeration, selective comparisons, and outdated stereotypes to make its argument. The result is less an analysis and more a rhetorical exercise that ignores the complexity of both countries.
China’s industrial rise over the last four decades is undeniable. Through aggressive state-led planning, massive infrastructure spending, and export-driven manufacturing, the country became the world’s largest manufacturing hub, accounting for around 30–31% of global manufacturing output according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Automated “dark factories,” where robots operate around the clock with minimal human involvement, demonstrate how far Chinese manufacturing has advanced.
However, presenting this as evidence of an unstoppable and flawless model overlooks several inconvenient realities. China’s economy today faces serious structural challenges. Growth has slowed considerably compared to previous decades, declining from double-digit growth rates in the 2000s to around 5% in recent years according to the World Bank. A prolonged real-estate crisis, mounting local government debt estimated at over $9 trillion, demographic decline due to an aging population, and declining foreign investment have all raised concerns among economists. Youth unemployment became so severe that it reached over 21% in 2023 before authorities temporarily stopped publishing the data.Technological success in certain sectors does not eliminate these deeper economic pressures.
Moreover, the article’s admiration for China avoids discussing the political and social costs embedded within its system. Strict censorship, extensive state surveillance, and limited freedom of expression are fundamental components of China’s governance model. China ranks around 172 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, reflecting tight state control over media and information. While these mechanisms may produce administrative efficiency, they come at the expense of individual liberties—an aspect conveniently absent from the glowing praise.
Equally problematic is the portrayal of automation as uniquely Chinese. The concept of “dark factories” is not a Chinese invention. Highly automated manufacturing has existed for years in countries such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Robotics adoption is increasing worldwide as industries attempt to improve productivity and offset rising labor costs. According to the International Federation of Robotics, more than 550,000 industrial robots were installed globally in 2022 alone.
China’s large number of industrial robots partly reflects the sheer scale of its manufacturing sector, not necessarily technological superiority in every dimension. China installed about 290,000 industrial robots in 2022, representing roughly half of global installations, largely due to its vast factory base.
The article also dismisses India’s manufacturing landscape with sweeping generalizations. While it is true that India’s share of global manufacturing is smaller than China’s—around 3–4% of global manufacturing output—the comparison ignores a fundamental historical fact: China began its industrial transformation decades earlier.
China initiated major economic reforms in 1978, opening its economy to export-oriented manufacturing. India, by contrast, only launched major economic liberalization in 1991. Expecting both countries to reach identical industrial scale within such different timelines is unrealistic.
Despite the later start, India has built globally competitive sectors. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical producers in the world, supplying about 60% of global vaccine demand and roughly 20% of the world’s generic medicines. It is also a global leader in information technology services, with the IT sector contributing over $245 billion to the economy and employing more than 5 million people. India has also emerged as an important supplier of aerospace and engineering components. Its digital public infrastructure—from large-scale digital identity systems such as Aadhaar covering over 1.3 billion people, to electronic payment platforms like UPI processing more than 12 billion transactions monthly—has become a model studied by many countries.
The claim that Indian factories “cannot keep the lights on” is also an outdated trope. Over the past decade, India has significantly expanded electricity generation and grid connectivity. India’s installed electricity capacity has crossed 430 gigawatts, making it one of the largest power systems in the world. Nearly 99% of households now have access to electricity, compared with much lower coverage two decades ago. Power shortages that once plagued many regions have been reduced substantially, and the country is now one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for renewable energy, with over 180 gigawatts of renewable capacity installed.
Certainly, challenges remain. Bureaucratic hurdles, logistics inefficiencies, and regulatory complexities continue to affect the ease of doing business. Yet portraying India as a stagnant economy ignores the rapid expansion of highways, ports, airports, and industrial corridors currently underway. India has built over 50,000 km of national highways in the past decade, and its airport network has expanded from 74 operational airports in 2014 to more than 140 today.
Another flaw in the article is its framing of economic development as a simplistic race. India and China follow fundamentally different models.
China relied heavily on centralized state planning and export-led manufacturing. India, operating within a democratic and federal system, has experienced a more gradual and diverse growth trajectory driven by services, domestic consumption, and technological innovation.
Democracies often move slower because policies must pass through debate, institutions, and public scrutiny. But that same system provides resilience, adaptability, and protection of individual freedoms.
The narrative that China has already “won” the economic race therefore oversimplifies reality. Global supply chains are shifting, and many multinational companies are adopting a “China plus one” strategy to diversify production. Countries like India, Vietnam, and Mexico are emerging as alternative manufacturing destinations, with India receiving over $70 billion in annual foreign direct investment inflows in recent years.China remains a dominant industrial power, but the global economic landscape is evolving.Admiring China’s progress is reasonable. However, doing so should not require dismissing India’s achievements or exaggerating its shortcomings. National development is not measured only by the number of robots in factories or the speed of assembly lines.It is also measured by the strength of institutions, the freedom of its people, and the long-term sustainability of its growth.
Dark factories may symbolize technological advancement. But the narrative that India stands helplessly in the dark is simply not supported by reality.
Naro Jamir, Dimapur.
Saturday, March 7, 2026