Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated his call for swadeshi (indigenous) goods amid trade and tariff tensions with the US, saying the country should get freedom from foreign-made goods.
In a televised address to the nation, Modi said, “Just as the country’s independence gained strength from the mantra of Swadeshi… similarly, the country’s prosperity will also gain strength from the mantra of Swadeshi alone.”
“Today, knowingly or unknowingly, many foreign products have become a part of our everyday lives… We should buy products that are Made in India, in which the hard work of our country’s youth is invested,” he said.
“We need to make every home a symbol of Swadeshi, adorn every shop with Swadeshi…,” he added.
He also hailed the new reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a double bonanza for the neo-middle class of the country.
Modi said the “next gen” GST reforms, which will come into effect from Monday, are like a “GST saving festival”.
