India vows to dig its way out of China machinery curbs

A tunnel-boring machine, or TBM, is large equipment designed to excavate tunnels through rock and soil. It can create a controlled passage without relying entirely on open excavation or blasting. That matters for railways, metros, roads and tunnels in difficult locations.

TBMs are particularly valuable beneath densely populated areas, where conventional excavation may disrupt buildings and daily life. They also support complex projects through the Himalayas. The machine’s cutter head breaks the ground, while hydraulics and control systems help guide the excavation. The article identifies these as sophisticated parts of the equipment.

India currently imports TBMs for every metro and rail tunnel, according to one expert quoted. China dominates the global TBM market and supplied half of India’s imports in 2025-26. India could continue using blasting and other equipment, but losing easy access to TBMs could slow major projects while domestic manufacturers build the necessary skills and components.

China has announced export controls covering certain tunnel-boring machines and their components. Shipments to countries with which China has disputes would require licences. Exports to other countries would face registration requirements instead. China has not identified which countries would receive the stricter licensing treatment.

The measures were announced on October 19 and are due to take effect on November 18. China said the purpose was to protect national security. It pointed to the equipment’s potential military and civilian uses. India is concerned because it has a long-standing border dispute with China and depends heavily on Chinese TBM supplies.

The controls may not stop India’s tunnel construction outright. Experts expect them to make access more uncertain and potentially slower. The restrictions also come while India and China are cautiously trying to repair relations after years of tension, adding an economic complication to their strategic disputes.

India is significantly dependent on China for tunnel-boring machines. China dominates the global TBM market, and India is one of its main customers. India imported machines worth US$486 million in 2025-26, with half of those imports coming from China, according to Business Standard.

This dependence affects more than purchases of complete machines. Experts said critical parts such as cutter heads, hydraulics and control systems require advanced engineering skills. India can produce a machine’s steel shell more easily, but it has fewer capabilities in these sophisticated components. That creates a concentrated technology risk.

The dependence does not mean all Indian tunnelling would stop if Chinese supplies became harder to obtain. India uses blasting and other excavation equipment too. However, the change could slow projects and force India to seek other suppliers while developing domestic manufacturing. An expert said imports would still be needed for the next couple of years.

China’s restrictions could delay or slow India’s infrastructure expansion rather than halt it completely. India is building a bullet train corridor, metro networks, roads, tunnels and bridges. Many projects cross the Himalayas or pass beneath densely populated areas, where TBMs are especially useful.

The key mechanism is reduced access to specialised equipment and components. India can use blasting and other conventional excavation methods, but experts say those alternatives are not equally suitable for every location. TBMs offer important advantages for complex tunnels, especially where surface disruption must be limited. Delays could arise if replacement machines, parts or approvals take longer to secure.

India’s projects are therefore likely to continue, but their pace may be affected. The government is being urged to develop domestic TBM manufacturing and diversify suppliers. European, Japanese or Korean partnerships could help with skills, servicing and spares, although building full capability would take time.

China says tunnel-boring machines and their components have potential military and civilian uses. For that reason, Beijing presented the export controls as measures to protect national security. The article does not give a detailed example of a military application or explain how China assesses specific machines.

The civilian role is clear from India’s projects. TBMs excavate tunnels for metros, railways, roads and bridges, including work beneath populated areas and through the Himalayas. The same ability to create large underground passages could also have strategic value, which is the general basis for treating such equipment as dual-use. That broader explanation is established context, not a specific example supplied by the article.

China has not identified the countries that would face stricter licensing. India is worried because it has a border dispute with China and imports many TBMs from Chinese suppliers. The controls therefore combine technology concerns with wider strategic tensions between the neighbours.

India has several ways to reduce the impact of restricted Chinese supplies. It can continue using conventional excavation methods such as blasting, rely on other equipment and seek machines from suppliers outside China. It can also build its own TBM industry, reducing dependence on one foreign source.

The proposed domestic path would begin with capabilities India can develop more easily, such as the machine’s steel shell. More advanced parts, including cutter heads, hydraulics and control systems, would require greater engineering expertise. An expert suggested partnerships with European, Japanese or Korean companies, alongside servicing and spare-parts work, to build skills gradually.

These alternatives will not provide an immediate replacement. The article says India will still need imports for the next couple of years. Government certainty about future orders could encourage manufacturers to invest. Over time, domestic production and diversified sourcing could make projects less exposed to a single supplier’s export decisions.

A country becomes vulnerable when essential infrastructure depends on foreign technology that few suppliers can provide. A policy change, dispute or export restriction can then affect construction schedules, costs and technical support. The risk is greatest when one country dominates the market and supplies a large share of imports.

India’s TBM exposure illustrates the mechanism. China dominates the global market and supplied half of India’s TBM imports in 2025-26. If licences, registrations or components become harder to obtain, India can still use blasting and other equipment, but some complex tunnels may proceed more slowly. Advanced parts also require skills that cannot be built instantly.

The article presents diversification and domestic manufacturing as the response. India could work with European, Japanese or Korean partners, develop servicing and spares, and eventually make more components itself. That would not end imports immediately, but it would reduce reliance on one source and improve resilience during future disputes.