Facts checked 29 September 2026 for the CAT 2026 cycle
WAT Topic: "Can India replace China as the world's manufacturing hub?" - economic category, hard difficulty. Consider 2 perspectives for a balanced essay.
Start with Apple's shift of iPhone production to India as the hook, and mention that a US-India trade deal was announced in February 2026 but not yet signed by July. State qualified optimism.
Para 1: Why companies are diversifying away from China (wages, geopolitics, tariffs)
Para 2: India's advantages and where PLI schemes have worked
Para 3: Infrastructure, skills and trade-deal risks that need addressing
India can capture significant share, but not fully replace China. Focus on specific sectors.
India exported more than USD 50 billion of iPhones by December 2025, according to government officials quoted in January 2026
iPhones were 76% of India's roughly USD 30 billion smartphone exports in calendar 2025, and smartphones were India's largest export product that year (Ideas for India, February 2026)
Goods exports fell from 14.1% of GDP in 2022-23 to 12.1% in 2024-25 (Second Advance Estimates, new GDP series)
The US Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA-based tariffs on 20 February 2026 (WTO); a signed US-India trade agreement was still pending in July 2026 (Economic Times)
Being overly nationalistic without acknowledging challenges
Not mentioning competing countries (Vietnam, Indonesia)
Ignoring the infrastructure gap
Treating the PLI schemes as a success in every sector, when results were mixed
Show you understand both the opportunity and execution challenges. Mention specific sectors like electronics, pharma, or textiles.
Rhetoric (4th Century BC)
Insight: Persuasion requires ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) working together.
How to apply: Structure your WAT with logical arguments (logos), establish credibility through data/examples (ethos), and connect to human impact (pathos). IIM evaluators look for all three.
Made to Stick (2007)
Insight: Ideas that stick are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and tell Stories (SUCCESs).
How to apply: Open with an unexpected fact or angle. Use concrete examples, not abstractions. Ground arguments in credible data. Make it memorable.
The Sense of Style (2014)
Insight: Good writing is about showing the reader something in the world, not performing your knowledge.
How to apply: Don't write to impress—write to illuminate. Avoid jargon and pompous language. Show you understand the issue, don't just list points.
Politics and the English Language (1946)
Insight: Clear thinking leads to clear writing. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
How to apply: Prefer active voice. Cut unnecessary words. If you can cut a word, cut it. Clarity beats complexity in 200-word essays.
Values original thinking and nuanced positions over conventional wisdom.
Tip: IIMA loves contrarian but well-reasoned takes. Don't be afraid to challenge the premise of the topic itself.
Practical, business-oriented evaluation. Values structured thinking.
Tip: IIMB appreciates when you connect topics to business/management implications. Always include "so what" for managers.
Rigorous analytical approach. Values data and economic reasoning.
Tip: IIMC loves numbers. Include at least one relevant statistic. Show you understand economic trade-offs.
Balanced evaluation of content and expression.
Tip: IIML values clear structure. Use explicit transitions and signposting.
Ethics-focused, values human-centric perspectives.
Tip: XLRI's Jesuit heritage means they value ethical dimensions. Always consider the human/social impact angle.
There's no "right" stance. What matters is taking a clear position and defending it well. Show you understand both the opportunity and execution challenges. Mention specific sectors like electronics, pharma, or textiles.
Nobody outside the institute can say. IIMs set the essay topic on the day. This topic is tied to an issue that was current in September 2026, and the statistics on this page carry their source and date, so use it for practice.
Start with Apple's shift of iPhone production to India as the hook, and mention that a US-India trade deal was announced in February 2026 but not yet signed by July. State qualified optimism. Your body should cover: Para 1: Why companies are diversifying away from China (wages, geopolitics, tariffs); Para 2: India's advantages and where PLI schemes have worked; Para 3: Infrastructure, skills and trade-deal risks that need addressing.
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