PM Modi urges citizens to embrace swadeshi, says self-reliance will strengthen India’s economy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged citizens to embrace the “swadeshi mantra,” calling for a conscious shift towards indigenous products to make every household a symbol of India-made goods.

In his address to the nation, he recalled how swadeshi had played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and said the same philosophy could now drive the country’s economic growth.

“The comb in our pocket—whether it is made in India or not, we don’t even know,” PM Modi said, highlighting the prevalence of foreign-made items in daily life. “We need to buy made-in-India products and make every household a symbol of swadeshi. Garv se kaho, ye swadeshi hai.”

Modi emphasised that adopting swadeshi products would accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. He also called on state governments to actively promote domestic manufacturing, encourage ‘Made in India’ initiatives and create new opportunities for investment.

“Just as the mantra of ‘Swadeshi’ empowered India’s freedom, the same mantra will strengthen the country’s prosperity. Today, knowingly or unknowingly, many foreign products have become part of our daily lives, often without us even realising it. We may not even know whether the comb in our pocket is foreign-made or Indian-made. We must free ourselves from this dependence. Let us choose to buy goods that are Made in India, products that reflect the hard work of our nation’s youth,” he said.

VIDEO | Prime Minister Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) says, “Just as the mantra of ‘Swadeshi’ empowered India’s freedom, the same mantra will strengthen the country’s prosperity. Today, knowingly or unknowingly, many foreign products have become part of our daily lives, often… pic.twitter.com/GbohATpyd8

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 21, 2025

The Prime Minister also highlighted his government’s efforts in implementing landmark reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He said that all issues raised by the states were resolved through collaborative efforts and described the reform as a step designed with the future needs of the nation in mind.

“This reform has been done keeping in mind the future needs of the nation,” PM Modi said, noting that the new GST structure has been simplified to just two tax rates—5 per cent and 18 per cent. He added that reform is a continuous process and that further next-generation changes would be needed to keep pace with the times.

By linking economic self-reliance to national pride, Modi’s message reinforced the government’s broader agenda of promoting domestic manufacturing while simplifying the regulatory landscape to foster growth and investment.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “Reform is a continuous process. As times change and the country’s needs change, next-generation reforms are equally necessary. These new GST reforms are being implemented, keeping in mind the country’s current needs and future… pic.twitter.com/RUwnAm4pEy

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2025