By Calling For the Boycott of Foreign Goods, Modi Contradicts Himself

The video showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the cream of India’s foreign policy establishment, playing with the children of American tycoon Elon Musk, was an exceptional moment in the history of Indian Prime Ministers’ foreign tours. Modi described his experience as “delightful”.

Even Musk, the richest person in the world, would have been delighted as his electric car company Tesla and internet service Starlink had received approval for business in India. Nobody can grudge such moments of happiness the rich and the powerful are so bountifully blessed with.

Those who dreamt of stealing a moment of delight by driving out of the Tesla showroom in a shining car, will, however, have to grapple with a gnawing sense of guilt now. That’s because Modi has asked Indians not to buy foreign goods. Nothing, absolutely nothing foreign should be bought except 1 or 2% essential commodities not manufactured by India.

We do make cars and have companies providing internet services. So, curtains for Musk. Difficult to guess at this stage whether Modi’s diktat for boycott of foreign goods left Musk’s ears burning. Or, the wily businessman understands the futility of such political rhetoric better than gullible Indians who start burning cheap Chinese goods on the streets across the country.

As Indian delegations negotiate with US on tariff, Modi's call to boycott foreign goods

The Indian delegations visiting the United States in the last few weeks are obviously not there to play with Musk’s children. They are seriously negotiating a workable tariff deal with the American establishment after President Donald Trump triggered a global turmoil by his disruptive intervention. While Indian officials are shaken and worried about the outcome, Trump chose to announce that the Modi Government had agreed to lower tariffs on American goods.

What’s the purpose of this exercise when American goods are to be boycotted? Why hasn’t Modi asked Indian officials to withdraw from negotiations and focus on bolstering domestic manufacturing? Or Modi himself knows his vain posturing is aimed more at diverting attention from the real national crises than the actual boycott of foreign goods?

This wasn’t a theoretical “vocal for local” call that Modi gave years ago. He was unambiguous and forceful, saying, “the Operation Sindoor started with military power but will continue with people’s power. Every individual should shoulder responsibility for the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’. We should take a resolve – to take Indian economy from the fourth position to the third, we will not use any foreign product henceforth. We should compel businessmen in every village to take a pledge for not selling foreign goods. No matter how much profit accrues to the traders, they must not sell foreign items. But look at the misfortune, even the Ganesh idol comes from abroad. Ganesha with small eyes. Ganesha’s eyes don’t even open. Even Holi colours are coming from outside. You too go to your homes and make a list of foreign items you use. For the success of Operation Sindoor, make a list of foreign items and stop using them. We don’t even realise how foreign items have invaded our homes. Even the tooth pin is foreign. We don’t even know. If the country has to be saved, if the country has to be rebuilt, we should understand Operation Sindoor is not merely a military operation. We have to win this battle with the strength of 140 crore people. Be vocal for local. I am not saying throw out what you have. But take a pledge not to buy again.”

ऑपरेशन सिंदूर के जज्बे को और आगे ले जाते हुए हमें ‘वोकल फॉर लोकल’ को दृढ़ता से अपनाना है, ताकि हमारे देश का सामर्थ्य और बढ़े। pic.twitter.com/3BLUBJY2Q9

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 27, 2025

The Prime Minister is hinting at China without naming it (though he never misses an opportunity to call out Pakistan), with his reference to Ganesh with small eyes. He says people don’t even know how these items have flooded their homes. Right. But the Prime Minister should know how these cheap, non-essential Chinese goods have flooded the Indian markets. Can a single item cross the border without Modi’s permission?

It is because of Modi’s policies that the trade deficit with China multiplied in the last decade; from 37.8 billion dollars in 2014 to around 100 billion dollars in 2025. It’s the Government’s doing, not caused by citizens’ lust for Chinese goods. Was Modi not aware of this trend when he was describing Xi Jinping as his “plus one” friend and singing about the vitality of Indo-China relationship?

Has Modi instructed the team of the Commerce Ministry negotiating tariff deals with America to bluntly tell them India is going to boycott foreign goods? What’s the point of a deal when we are not going to purchase American stuff? Does Modi understand the economic implications when the world knows boycott of foreign goods is the policy of the Indian State? Has he decided to walk out of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international commitments?

Modi taking avoidable risks of vitiating the diplomatic relations

Such critical decisions with widespread consequences cannot be handled like turn-key projects. Nobody has any quarrel with the idea of self-reliance but the country has to be gradually prepared for cutting off the global link. Today’s middle class is wholly dependent on foreign goods – from cars to mobile phones, from fridge to laptops, from medicines to toys. Can we tell Americans Coca Cola will not be consumed in India from today?

Can our pharmaceutical industry survive without Chinese imports? It’s a shame that we depend on China even for fertilizers. But what has the Government done to rectify this abnormal situation over the last decade? Make-in-India is a flop and the insanity of demonetisation destroyed middle and small enterprises. Barely days before Modi’s boycott call, Uttar Pradesh boasted of huge investment proposals by Chinese companies in footwear sector. Yes, footwear, not electronics. Before taking concrete measures to ensure self-reliance, how can the Prime Minister come up with fanciful ideas of boycott?

Also Read: Modi Needs to Deliver, Merely Dressing Up Like a Strong Leader Will Only Evoke Ridicule

The Prime Minister runs the risk of inviting criticism of trying to hijack the political discourse by such wild interventions. By linking Operation Sindoor to the task of boycott of foreign goods, he is taking avoidable risks of vitiating the diplomatic relations. Operation Sindoor was Pakistan-centric but he is now saying the project will come to fruition only by boycotting all foreign goods. Has he intentionally equated other countries with antagonistic Pakistan in his desperation for diversionary tricks from the real crises India is faced with?

Economists believe the best way to rev up growth is to boost the purchasing power of the masses and make money flow in the markets. Both domestic savings and investments have declined under Modi and unemployment has peaked menacingly. Foreign Direct Investments also slowed down while the debt situation worsened alarmingly. Instead of addressing the underlying factors for sluggish growth, Modi chose to raise the bogey of foreign goods, a lowly trick that will only aggravate the crisis.

But taking Modi seriously on such political rhetoric is fraught with risks. He has been inconsistent with his articulation, demonstrating a muddled-up thinking and poor understanding of economic realities. His strategies are often aimed more at consolidating his own shaky position than harbingering any real change.

The joint statement issued during his recent visit to the United States barely a few months ago did not reflect any plan to boycott foreign goods. It said: “Today, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi launched a new initiative – the US-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century – to drive transformative change across key pillars of cooperation.”

Apart from a 10-year defence cooperation framework, the joint statement talked of expansion of trade and investment. It was decided to more than double total bilateral trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030. Will boycott of foreign goods act as a catalyst to this objective? The statement repeatedly stresses agro-trade, energy security partnership and strengthening the supply chains.

When the PM had listed trade as an area for cooperation with other countries

In his address to the US Congress in 2023, Modi said, “We live by the motto of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam or The World is One Family. Our engagement with the world is for everyone’s benefit. The ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ seeks to join us all in connecting the world with clean energy. ‘One Earth, One Health’ is a vision for global action to bring quality healthcare to everyone. The same spirit is also seen in the theme when we Chair the G20 – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.”

Do we find any trace of animus against foreign goods in these words?

He added, “When Indians fly more, a single order for aircrafts creates more than a million jobs in forty four states in America. When an American phone maker invests in India, it creates an entire ecosystem of jobs and opportunities, in both countries. When India and the US work together on semiconductors and critical minerals, it helps the world in making supply chains more diverse, resilient and reliable.”

Addressing the European Commission, Modi said, “I would like to identify some priority areas of cooperation. The first is trade and investment. It is crucial to conclude a mutually beneficial FTA and Investment Protection Agreement as soon as possible. The second is strengthening the Supply Chain Resilience. Our capabilities can complement each other in sectors such as electronics, semiconductors, telecom, engineering, defence, and pharma.”

Modi went on to identify many more areas of cooperation. In January 2023, addressing the Global South Summit, he said, “We all appreciate the principle of globalisation. India’s philosophy has always seen the world as one family.”

The music is entirely different, unsuitable for the new theme of boycott of foreign goods. Modi will forget this rhetoric when he flies in luxurious foreign-made aircraft, travels in foreign-made safe cars and uses his imported goggles and phones.

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