Modi urges Indians to get rid of foreign products amid strained US ties

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a public address on Sunday asked citizens to stop using foreign-made products and instead use local ones, pushing for a self-reliant campaign when trade ties with the United States have soured.

After US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on imported Indian goods, Modi has been urging use of “Swadeshi”, or made-in-India goods. His supporters have started campaigns to boycott American brands including McDonald’s, Pepsi and Apple, which are hugely popular in India.

“A lot of products we use daily are foreign made, we just don’t know ... we will have to get rid of them,” Modi said in an address to the nation ahead of Monday’s implementation of widespread consumer tax cuts.

“We should buy products that are made in India,” he added, without naming any country.

India’s population of 1.4 billion is a major market for American consumer goods, often purchased from US online retailer Amazon.com. Over the years, the reach of US brands has expanded deep into smaller towns.

Modi also asked shopkeepers to focus on retailing made-in-India products, arguing that this will boost the country’s economic growth. In recent weeks, many companies have increased the promotion of local goods. India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to visit Washington soon for trade talks, a trip that would take place amid efforts to ease strained bilateral ties.