The Indian PM has made a pitch for national self-sufficiency, calling on citizens to buy domestically made goods
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on Indians to buy domestically made products over foreign goods, at a time when the South Asian nation is battling US tariffs. His appeal during a televised address to the nation on Sunday came a day before India implements major reforms in its indirect tax system to boost consumption.
Modi added that the only way for India to achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 is by becoming self-reliant.
“A lot of products we use daily are foreign made, we just don’t know… we will have to get rid of them,” he said. “We should buy products that are made in India.”
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Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce dependence on foreign-made products and celebrate Make In India, as part of the country’s goal to produce everything from chips to ships… https://t.co/Vr2DrQapHypic.twitter.com/3x5sMUaimj
Modi’s remarks come amid rising trade tensions with the US. Last month, Washington imposed a 25% penal tariff on most Indian imports over New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases, which came in addition to 25% duties introduced after India-US trade talks collapsed.
In his Sunday address, Modi said every household should make “Swadeshi” (self-sufficiency) a symbol, and every shop should showcase Indian-made goods. He encouraged Indians to “proudly” declare their commitment to self-reliance by saying “I buy Swadeshi” and “I sell Swadeshi.”
The concept of Swadeshi was a part of India’s freedom struggle and aimed to reduce dependence on British goods and promote Indian-made products.
Modi also appealed to all Indian state governments to actively support the initiative and urged them to boost manufacturing and create a conducive environment for attracting investment.
India’s population of 1.4 billion is a major market for multinational consumer goods but the recent pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump to open up its agriculture and dairy sector to American companies has resulted in calls for boycott of US goods.
Before the televised address, Modi said at an event in Gujarat that India’s true enemy is not another nation but dependence on foreign powers. “If we remain at the mercy of others, our self-respect will also be hurt… We cannot risk our future generations on others,” he added.
