logo
Reddit user compares quality of products in India to West, sparks debate

Reddit user compares quality of products in India to West, sparks debate

India Today7 hours ago
A Reddit user shared a post comparing the quality of products sold in India with those in the West. Posted on the subreddit 'r/India', it soon went viral on social media, sparking widespread discussion.'After living in the US for eight years and moving back to India four years ago,' the user wrote, adding, 'the massive difference in product quality I see in everyday life is impossible to ignore, and it bothers me.'advertisementThe user went on to point out quality gaps in even the most basic items, such as garbage bags, as well as in expensive and branded products. 'We have supermarkets like D-Mart and Reliance, but they're nowhere near the quality or selection of a Walmart, a store considered low-end in the West, let alone a Target or Dillons,' they said.
The post also touched on bigger purchases, such as an automobile. 'The vehicles sold as premium here, with luxury car-level GST, are actually quite affordable in the US. Yet, they still can't match the quality of their American counterparts in the same segment. Electronics like TVs or accessories don't last long either,' the Reddit user said in his post.Summarising their frustration, the user further said that premium products in India often fail to match the quality of even standard products in Western markets.They also speculated about companies manufacturing different quality tiers for different regions. 'We often joke that Chinese products don't last, but I've heard that's because they intentionally produce low-quality goods for certain markets while reserving the best for the West,' they wrote, suggesting that India often receives 'rejected' or lower-tier products.The post ended with a thought-provoking question: 'Why don't any startups focus on this gap in the market? It's a huge opportunity for anyone with capital.'Take a look at the post here:The question left Reddit users divided in the comments section. 'Even with the same brands. KitKat manufactured in India is so bad compared to the one in the UAE. Try the KitKat Chunky that's imported, and you'll see the difference,' a user said. Another user added, 'If you think US quality is good, imagine comparing Indian goods with European ones. They're usually much better made than American ones. India has always lacked attention to detail. Chalta hai is the culture. Craftsmanship suffers in a price-sensitive market.'A more balanced view came from another user who quipped, 'Try paying European prices for European quality. Amul makes some amazing dark chocolate for a decent price. You can't expect a Mustang for Maruti prices.'The viral post has sparked a larger conversation about manufacturing standards and consumer rights in India.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'EU, US import Russian goods but target us': India defends oil purchase
'EU, US import Russian goods but target us': India defends oil purchase

Business Standard

time19 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

'EU, US import Russian goods but target us': India defends oil purchase

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday issued a sharp rebuttal to US President Donald Trump's threat of imposing higher tariffs on Indian goods, calling the criticism over Russian oil imports 'unjustified and unreasonable.' The ministry stressed that India's energy ties with Russia are driven by national "necessity" and are far smaller in scale compared to trade between Russia and the West. 'India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict,' the MEA said in a statement on Monday. The ministry also recalled that, at the time, Washington had actually welcomed India's move to purchase Russian oil. 'The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability,' it noted. 'Energy imports vital for Indian consumers' India currently imports nearly a third of its crude oil from Russia and is the second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China. In its statement, the MEA defended these purchases, citing affordability and energy security for its population. However, the ministry also pointed out what it termed a glaring double standard: 'It is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion.' West-Russia trade far exceeds India's Data cited by the MEA further underlined the imbalance in criticism. The European Union recorded €67.5 billion in goods trade with Russia in 2024, and an additional €17.2 billion in services trade in 2023 -- far higher than India's total trade with Moscow. 'European imports of LNG in 2024 reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the previous high of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022,' the ministry added. Trade between Europe and Russia spans sectors like fertilisers, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, and transport equipment — going well beyond energy. Meanwhile, the United States also continues to do business with Russia. 'The US continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals,' the MEA said. India asserts its sovereign right India's response came after Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social, threatening to 'substantially' raise tariffs on Indian goods, accusing the country of profiting from the resale of Russian oil and ignoring the human toll in Ukraine. Trump wrote, 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the US. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!' India, however, dismissed the accusations and reiterated that its decisions are guided by national interests. 'Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' the MEA concluded. 'Long-term contracts cannot be abandoned overnight' Last week too, the government indicated there would be no sudden changes to oil imports from Russia. 'These are long-term oil contracts. It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight,' a senior official said. India imported around 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil between January and June this year, a slight increase from the previous year, according to Reuters. As global geopolitical tensions escalate, India appears firm in maintaining its strategic autonomy -- balancing energy needs with global diplomacy, while pushing back firmly against what it sees as selective outrage.

US, EU targeting us for importing oil from Russia: India on Trump tariff threat
US, EU targeting us for importing oil from Russia: India on Trump tariff threat

India Today

time19 minutes ago

  • India Today

US, EU targeting us for importing oil from Russia: India on Trump tariff threat

India has strongly pushed back against criticism from the United States and the European Union over its oil imports from Russia, calling such targeting "unjustified and unreasonable" in light of continued and substantial Western trade with Ministry of External Affairs, responding to US President Donald Trump's threat to substantially hike tariffs on the buying and selling of Russian oil, said that India's decision to purchase discounted Russian oil followed the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, which led traditional energy suppliers to divert their exports towards Europe. At the time, the United States had even encouraged India's purchases as a way to stabilise global energy ministry emphasised that India's energy imports from Russia are essential to ensuring affordable and predictable fuel prices for Indian consumers. "India's imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," the ministry said in a statement.- Ends

Will ‘substantially' raise tariffs on India for profiting from Russian oil, says Donald Trump
Will ‘substantially' raise tariffs on India for profiting from Russian oil, says Donald Trump

Indian Express

time19 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Will ‘substantially' raise tariffs on India for profiting from Russian oil, says Donald Trump

India Russian oil trade 2025: US President Donald Trump again hit out at India over the latter's substantial imports of Russian crude oil, and threatened that he will 'substantially' raise tariffs on New Delhi for profiting from exporting fuels derived from Russian oil. Trump's latest attack came just days after he announced 25 per cent tariffs and an unspecified 'penalty' on India for its defence and energy imports from Russia. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA,' Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump's July 31 announcement of 25 per cent tariff and the unspecified penalty has rattled Indian exporters, especially of low-margin products such as apparel and footwear, who have expressed fears of job losses due to increased tariffs. In his post on Monday, however, he did not make any mention of the 'penalty'. The tariff rate Trump announced for India is higher than US tariffs announced for competing countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and several ASEAN nations New Delhi and Washington are yet to reach a trade deal, with differences over market access for American agricultural products among the key roadblocks. India's Russian oil imports, which form a bulk of Near Delhi's total crude oil imports, have also emerged as an irritant in the India-US relationship amid Trump's growing frustration with Russia over the war in Ukraine. This renewed pressure from the US and other Western powers—forcing Russia's top trade partners to cut down on imports from the country—are aimed at forcing the Kremlin's hand into ending the Ukraine war. For Trump, who wants the three-year-old Russia-Ukraine war to end within days, this is an opportune time to pressurise countries like India and China over their Russian imports, given the sensitive trade negotiations that these countries are holding with the US. While the US has raised pressure on India, exporters said that China has begun aggressively cutting prices to retain access to the US market and outcompete Indian goods, even as it continues to face 30 per cent tariffs. China faces an August 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with the US. 'China — not India — is the largest buyer of Russian oil. In 2024, China imported $62.6 billion worth of Russian oil, compared to India's $52.7 billion. But Mr Trump appears unwilling to criticise China, perhaps because of geopolitical calculations, and instead targets India unfairly,' think tank GTRI said. India—the world's third-largest consumer of crude oil with an import dependency level of over 85 per cent—continues to maintain that its oil purchases are commercial decisions, it being targeted by the US and Europe over these purchases is unjustified and unreasonable. Amid increasing pressure on India from the US and other Western powers over the past couple of months, Indian refiners—led by public sector players—began cutting down on Russian oil imports, much before Trump's announcement the unspecified tariff 'penalty' on New Delhi. Latest vessel tracking data shows that July deliveries of Russian crude—which would have been contracted May or early June—to Indian refiners fell significantly. Industry and trade sources also indicated that Indian public sector refiners have, for the time being, halted future contracting of Russian oil, the mainstay of India's oil imports for the better part of the past three years. India's Russian oil imports in July were at 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), down 24 per cent from June levels, and 23.5 per cent from volumes delivered in July of last year, according to latest tanker data from global real-time data and analytics provider Kpler. The share of Russian crude in India's oil import basket in July contracted notably to around 33.8 per cent from June's 44.5 per cent. Industry insiders, experts, and trade sources indicate that renewed pressure and threats from the US and Europe over the past few weeks have cast a shadow on India's Russian oil imports, and could mark the beginning of Indian refiners pivoting away from Moscow's oil. So far, India had successfully managed to walk 'the fine line between energy security and geopolitical pressure', but its options now appeared limited, one expert said, adding that Indian refiners 'must now plan not just for commercial shifts, but for systemic geopolitical realignment'. Deliberations are on between the government and other stakeholders—primarily refiners—on managing the situation and assessing the choices on the table for India, sources said. With a pre-emptive reduction in Russian oil imports, some bit of signaling has already taken place. The next steps would most likely be decided on how the India-US dynamic evolves, and more importantly, whether or not Trump decides to further harden the American stance and rhetoric against Russia. Any breakthrough between the White House and Kremlin over the Russia-Ukraine war would most likely ease the pressure on buyers of Russian crude. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store