With exports under pressure, PM Modi urges Swadeshi for this festive season to boost local demand

As concerns over slowing exports remain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed the agenda for Swadeshi products ahead of the upcoming festive season. In his 125th Mann ki Baat address on Sunday, PM Modi urged citizens to choose Made-in-India products to boost domestic demand and support exporters.

“The radiance of many festivals will spread in the coming days. You should never forget about Swadeshi during these festivals. Gifts should be those made in India, Attire should be that woven in India, decor should be that made from materials made in India, Luminary items from India-made frills - and many more; everything in every need of life should be Swadeshi. Say with pride 'this is Swadeshi', say with pride 'this is Swadeshi', say with pride 'this is Swadeshi'. We have to move forward with this feeling. One mantra - 'Vocal for Local'; One path - 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'; One goal - Developed India,” said PM Modi.

These remarks stem from the ongoing India-U.S. tensions over the 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the United States, which are set to impact local manufacturers and traders.

In this regard, the Centre seems to be focusing not only on boosting private consumption but, also on strengthening its relations with other nations, including both Russia and China. PM Modi is currently on his two-day visit to China, attending the SCO Summit 2025. He just completed his visit to Japan on Saturday.

Meanwhile, during his Sunday address to the nation, PM Modi also spoke about the catastrophe caused by the monsoon this year, in parts of northern India including states such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand.

“In this monsoon season, natural disasters are testing the country. These incidents have saddened every Indian. The pain of the families who lost their loved ones is our shared pain,” he said.

He added that the country’s army and special forces engaged in carrying out relief measures in affected regions.

“Wherever the crisis struck, our NDRF-SDRF personnel, other security forces, everyone toiled day and night to save the people there. The soldiers have also availed of the aid of technology. With the help of myriad modern resources such as thermal cameras, life detectors, sniffer dogs and drone surveillance, a lot of efforts were undertaken to lend speed to the relief work. I express heartfelt gratitude to every citizen who has kept humanity above everything else during this testing time,” he said.

He also highlighted the first-ever day-night inaugural cricket match of a local premier league held in Pulwama this year, which reportedly drew around 35,000 people to the Pulwama stadium on August 25.

“This match is a part of the 'Royal Premier League', in which different teams of Jammu and Kashmir are playing. Thousands of enthusiasts, especially youth, enjoying cricket at night in Pulwama… it was truly a sight to behold,” he said.

PM Modi also unveiled a digital platform called the ‘Pratibha Setu,’ for UPSC candidates who may have cleared all the written levels of the national exam yet who were unable to make it to the final cut or the merit list. This data of meritorious students will be accessible to private companies who can then employ such students.

“The results of this effort have also started coming in. Hundreds of candidates have got jobs immediately with the help of this portal and those youth who had got stuck by a small margin are now moving ahead with new confidence,” he added.