China drags India to WTO over EV and auto incentives
Business
China has taken India to the World Trade Organization, claiming that India's big incentive schemes for cars, batteries, and electric vehicles unfairly block Chinese products.
After two failed rounds of talks, China officially asked the WTO on January 16, 2026 to step in, with a key meeting set for January 27, 2026 in Geneva.
Why should you care?
This isn't just about trade rules—India's PLI schemes aim to encourage investments and boost domestic manufacturing, but China says they break global agreements by favoring Indian goods over imports.
With India's trade deficit with China widening to about $99.2 billion in fiscal 2024-25 and both countries ramping up their EV game, what happens next could shape how tech and jobs grow on both sides.