Published: Aug 26, 2026, 24:26 IST | Updated: Aug 26, 2026, 24:26 IST
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal appeared to take a veiled swipe at China while courting Japanese investors in Tokyo, using the case of Alibaba founder Jack Ma to highlight India's business environment. Goyal said entrepreneurs in India do not have to worry about "disappearing one day" and later emerging as professors at a Japanese university—a remark widely interpreted as a reference to Ma, who vanished from public view for months after criticizing Chinese regulators in 2020. Goyal used the example to pitch India as a stable destination where entrepreneurship is celebrated, intellectual property is protected and data security is respected.