Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Modi Reiterates Swadeshi Appeal Amid India’s 7.8% Growth
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people in India not to take unnecessary leisure trips to other countries.
He also asked them to hold weddings in India instead of at foreign destinations.
He said people should buy gold only when it is necessary.
Modi connected these choices with using Indian products and making India more self-reliant.
He made the appeal in a video from Kyrgyzstan while attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
He also celebrated India’s reported 7.8% economic growth from April to June.
Modi said the economy was growing despite wars and problems affecting fuel and supply chains.
Congress leaders disagreed with his message about the economy.
They said GDP shows total output but does not show enough about jobs, wages, investment or opportunities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to avoid leisure trips abroad, overseas destination weddings and unnecessary gold purchases.
Speaking from Kyrgyzstan, Modi promoted “Swadeshi,” “Vocal for Local” and the “Wed in India” message.
Modi cited India’s 7.8% April-June GDP growth, above the Reserve Bank of India’s 7% forecast.
He said India was advancing despite global uncertainty, wars, the West Asia crisis and supply-chain disruptions.
Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera said GDP growth does not capture weak investment, unemployment, wages or education problems.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera criticized his economic interpretation.
- What
- Modi repeated calls to avoid non-essential overseas travel, foreign destination weddings and unnecessary gold purchases while highlighting 7.8% GDP growth.
- When
- Tuesday; the reported growth covers April-June, and Modi had made a similar austerity appeal in May.
- Where
- Kyrgyzstan, where Modi was attending the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
- Why
- Modi said restraint, Swadeshi and self-reliance would support India’s progress and help maintain economic momentum.
Government’s Swadeshi and Growth Message
Congress’s Economic Critique
Meaning of 7.8% growth
Government’s Swadeshi and Growth Message
Modi presented the 7.8% figure as evidence that India is progressing rapidly despite global uncertainty, wars, crises and supply-chain disruptions.
Congress’s Economic Critique
Jairam Ramesh called the celebration premature and said the figure presents a greatly distorted picture, including depressed private investment sentiment.
What GDP shows
Government’s Swadeshi and Growth Message
Modi said citizens’ continued participation, correct government policies and self-reliance would help India maintain its progress and fulfill young people’s aspirations.
Congress’s Economic Critique
Pawan Khera said GDP measures national output but not jobs, wages or opportunities, and pointed to unemployment, leaked exam papers and a crumbling education system.
Foreign spending and self-reliance
Government’s Swadeshi and Growth Message
Modi urged Indians to limit leisure travel abroad, foreign destination weddings and non-essential gold purchases to support Swadeshi and reduce foreign-exchange outflows.
Congress’s Economic Critique
The articles do not report a specific Congress response to those spending appeals; the party’s reported criticism focused on the limits of the growth figures and broader economic conditions.
- GDP growth
- India’s GDP grew 7.8% in the April-June quarter.
- Reserve Bank forecast
- The Reserve Bank of India had forecast 7% growth for the quarter.
- Modi’s appeal
- He urged people to avoid non-essential foreign leisure travel, overseas weddings and unnecessary gold purchases.
- Economic rationale
- The earlier appeal was linked to conserving foreign exchange and reducing outflows during economic headwinds.
- Core slogans
- Modi promoted “Swadeshi,” “Vocal for Local,” self-reliance and “Wed in India.”
- Summit location
- Modi delivered the message from Kyrgyzstan while attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
- Tourism employment
- Government data cited in one article said tourism supported about 84.6 million jobs in 2023-2024.
- Overseas travel
- One article reported that around 3.27 crore Indians travelled abroad in 2025.
