New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- The Centre has introduced customs duty rationalisation to ensure that the Indian economy becomes aatmanirbhar (self-reliant), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a post-budget interview with NDTV.

Sitharaman was responding to NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia's question on whether the budgetary announcement of reducing customs duty on many automobiles, which will benefit companies like Tesla and Harley Davidson, is a signal amid US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements.

"We are looking at our own economy. We are looking to strengthen the foundation of the Indian economy, to make it a manufacturing hub," she said.

The Finance Minister added that the announcement in the Union Budget of reducing cust...