New Delhi: Invoking Lord Krishna as a symbol of strength and protection and Mahatma Gandhi’s charkha as the emblem of swadeshi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged Indians to turn to indigenous products as a shield against mounting US trade tariffs.
“India is empowered by ‘Chakradhaari’ Lord Krishna and ‘Charkhadhari’ Mahatma Gandhi,” he said, underlining that self-reliance has been a cornerstone of his government’s approach.
Modi, who was in Ahmedabad to launch multiple civic projects, called on shopkeepers to display ‘Swadeshi Only’ boards outside their establishments and urged citizens to buy products only made in India.
Addressing a gathering at the Khodaldham Grounds in Ahmedabad, the Prime Minister reiterated that small but decisive steps like preferring indigenous goods could strengthen India’s economy and shield its farmers and small businesses from global trade shocks.
“India will not compromise on the interests of farmers and small businesses,” he said. “For me, the interests of farmers, cattle rearers and small-scale industries are paramount. The pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it all.”
Mintwas the first to report on 11 June that trade talks between the US and India had reached a standstill over agriculture and dairy, as the US sought greater market access for its farm and dairy products in India.
With the festive season approaching, PM Modi urged people to buy and sell only Made-in-India goods, linking the appeal to both cultural identity and economic strength.
“Now Navratri, Dussehra, Dhanteras, Diwali, all these festivals are coming. These are celebrations of our culture but they should also be celebrations of self-reliance,” he said. “Whatever we buy must be made in India. Businessmen should put up big boards outside their shops declaring that they sell swadeshi goods only.”
The call comes at a time when India is expected to be among the countries worst hit by US President Donald Trump’s trade offensive, with tariffs on Indian imports set to surge to 50% from Wednesday. The Trump administration has cited India’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil as the reason for the tariff hike, alleging that the trade “fuels the war machine” in Ukraine.
The US is India’s largest trading partner, with Indian goods exports to the US rising 11.6% in FY25, from $77.52 billion in FY24 to $86.51 billion. To be sure, imports from the US also rose but by a smaller margin of 7.42%, going up from $42.20 billion to $45.33 billion during the fiscal year that ended on 31 March.
Major goods exported to the US included electronic goods, textiles, drugs and pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, gems and jewellery, petroleum products and agricultural products.