Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a public address on Sunday, called on citizens to stop using foreign goods and instead buy locally produced products, promoting a self-sufficiency campaign amid strained trade relations with the United States. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
After US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on imported Indian goods, Modi began actively calling for the use of "Swadeshi" — that is, goods produced in India. His supporters have already launched campaigns to boycott American brands, including McDonald's, Pepsi, and Apple, which are very popular in India.
Many goods we use every day are made abroad — we just don't realize it... we must get rid of them," Modi said in an address to the nation ahead of the introduction of large-scale tax breaks for consumers on Monday. "We must buy goods made in India.
India's population of 1.4 billion people is a large market for American consumer goods, often purchased through online retailer Amazon.com. Over the years, the influence of American brands has penetrated even the smallest towns in the country.
Modi also called on shop owners to focus on selling Indian-made products, emphasizing that this would contribute to the country's economic growth.
In recent weeks, many companies have intensified the promotion of local products.
Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to visit Washington soon for trade talks — a trip that comes amid efforts to ease strained bilateral relations.
Recall
The US will call on G7 allies to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China and India for purchasing Russian oil. It is also proposed to confiscate Russia's frozen foreign exchange reserves to finance Ukraine's defense.