In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ address, the PM said, “Friends, in this festive season you can once again reiterate your old resolves. Anything you buy, should necessarily be ‘Made in India’… Anything you gift, that too should be ‘Made In India’. Merely buying earthen lamps is not ‘Vocal for Local’. You should promote local products made in your area more and more. Any such product, that has been made with the sweat of an Indian artisan, that is made on Indian soil, is our pride — we always have to lend glory to this pride.” His remarks come against the backdrop of China-made idols of gods, decorative lights and other products which come at a low cost but eat into the market of indigenous products.
Modi also referred to the completion of a decade of the ‘Make in India’ initiative where all segments, from big industries to small shopkeepers have made a contribution to its success.
“Today, it gives me immense joy to see that the poor, the middle class and MSMEs are getting a lot of benefit from this campaign. This campaign has provided an opportunity to people of every class to showcase their talent. Today, India has become a manufacturing powerhouse and it is because of the youth power of the country that the whole world is looking up to us. Be it automobiles, textiles, aviation, electronics or defence… every sector in the country’s exports is constantly on the rise,” Modi said.
