Prime Minister Narendra Modi has intensified his push to prioritise locally-made products amid global economic instability in the wake of US trade tariffs.
Modi urged citizens to buy, sell and promote Indian products, citing global economic uncertainty but without referring to US tariffs.
“The world economy is going through many apprehensions, there is an atmosphere of instability,” he said at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. “Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian.”
Modi’s renewed emphasis on domestic manufacturing and consumption echoes his long-standing “Make in India” initiative.
However, the message has taken on new urgency after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on exports from the South Asian nation to the US.
The US president recently accused India of maintaining disproportionately high tariffs compared with other Asian nations, and warned of further penalties, citing India’s ongoing energy and defence deals with Russia.
Modi underscored the importance of shielding India’s economic interests during uncertain global conditions.
“The interests of our farmers, our small industries and the employment of our youth are of paramount importance,” he told the rally.
India has to remain vigilant about its economic interests, when other countries are focusing on their own interests, he said. — Bloomberg
