'Har Ghar Swadeshi': PM Modi’s Big Push For Self-Reliance, Local Manufacturing Amid Trump Tariff Woes
Prime Minister Modi lauded the upcoming GST reforms as a "double bonanza" for India's neo-middle class.
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.
Modi called on Indians to embrace swadeshi products, saying the spirit of self-reliance that once fuelled the freedom struggle must now power the nation’s economic growth.
In a 19-minute televised address to the nation, Modi urged households and businesses alike to make indigenous goods the foundation of their choices. “We have to make every home a symbol of swadeshi. We have to decorate every shop with swadeshi goods,” he said.
The prime minister also highlighted the rollout of next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, which take effect on the first day of Navratri. He described the move, alongside the recent hike in income tax exemption to ₹12 lakh annually, as a “double bonanza” for citizens. According to him, these twin measures will enable Indians to collectively save ₹2.5 lakh crore by lowering expenses and boosting disposable incomes.
‘GST Bachat Utsav’ From Tomorrow
Calling the revised tax rates his government’s embodiment of the mantra naagrik devo bhavah (citizens are like gods), Modi said the reforms will ease the burden on families by reducing the prices of everyday goods, as well as cutting costs in key sectors like construction and healthcare.
“With the sunrise tomorrow, the next-generation GST reforms will come into effect. A GST bachat utsav (savings festival) will begin tomorrow,” he said. “From tomorrow, it will be like a GST saving festival that will bring happiness to every family.”
The prime minister emphasised that the reforms are designed to benefit all sections of society, from the poor, middle and neo middle classes to youth, farmers, women, traders and shopkeepers.
Call for States to Boost Manufacturing
Modi also appealed to state governments to strengthen local manufacturing and create a supportive climate for investment, stressing that cooperative federalism holds the key to realising the vision of a self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat).
He urged every citizen to take pride in choosing products made in India. “It should be the spirit of every Indian that he says with pride that he purchases or sells made-in-India products,” he said, noting that such a mindset would accelerate the country’s development.
Top Headlines
