As the festive season approaches, decorative LED string lights and connectors in the Indian market highlight a stark contrast in manufacturing strength. Indian‐made lights may boast better build quality, but they typically cost double what Chinese imports do and still rely on Chinese-style sockets and connectors. The result: consumers pay more for “Swadeshi” brands but often end up patching compatibility issues themselves.

While Chinese manufacturers supply entire plug-and-play ecosystems, Indian producers frequently stop at the lights, leaving the connector sourcing to third parties or DIY fixes. India’s trade deficit with China continues to widen, as millions of string lights and jointers flow from China every year. Despite policymaker push for “Make in India” and “Buy Swadeshi”, a full manufacturing chain remains elusive.

To truly shift from being buyers of assembled imports to makers of integrated systems, India must address infrastructure, supply-chain coordination and MSME capacity. Until then, when Indians toggle on Diwali lights, it may be China that shines brighter.