Understanding the Spirit of Modi’s Swadeshi Challenge

NewsBharati    23-May-2020 11:57:05 AM
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Many years back, on the last day of one of my hectic tours, I picked up a few garments from a showroom in Oxford for the ‘phoren’ stuff crazy relatives, only to realize on reaching home that they had Made in India tags which obviously I failed to notice in my tearing hurry to catch the flight.
 
Since then, I had restrained myself from shopping abroad and confined it to buying some cheap street side souvenirs such as a miniature red double decker in London or a traditional mask from Bali. Once the state of the art Indira Gandhi International Airport started operations, I started procuring even the customary chocolates and other stuff from Delhi Duty Free which offered a better bargain than many international airports and the advantage of paying in Indian currency rather than dollars.

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Even that stopped once these chocolates and other imported stuff became easily available in South Delhi shops. Certainly, the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and leaders such as Dattopant Thengdi were great inspiration in my opting for Indian products but at a very pragmatic level, I found that it was far more easier to buy back home in terms of service availability. Being prudent spenders, Indians are not the ones to junk things once they develop problems, particularly electronic items. It’s easier to go back to your local shop and get it repaired.
 
Secondly, with Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation setting in in the early 1990s, almost every brand worth its name was available in India and over a period of time, Indian brands offered equally good quality and international experience. That made Be Indian, Buy Indian a great experience in itself.
 
The Prime Minister’s clarion call for Swadeshi and Self-Reliance has triggered a fresh debate on the concept which had ignited our freedom movement in the first place. Seeking a place under the sun for India in the new global order, Narendra Modi did not ask for a boycott of foreign goods but strengthening Indian enterprise, enhancing manufacturing, facilitating greater employment opportunities and consequent liquidity and spending to boost the economy further.
 
A call for adopting Swadeshi does not mean a return to the era of Ambassadors and Premier Padminis. The call is not confined to the consumers but also to local manufacturers to produce world class products which will make Make in India a brand to reckon with globally. Make in India is intrinsically linked to Brand Incredible India. Locally manufactured products engaging local labour and involving lesser logistical expenses also means they would be reasonably or competitively priced. Indian consumers have always looked for Sasta, Sundar and Tikau (Cheaper, presentable and durable) products. For him or her, the mileage is no less important than the looks of a car.
 
Much of the foreign products owe their success to aggressive marketing and its here that Indian MSMEs falter. The need is for creating a common branding and distribution platform for these products wherein the consumer is made aware of their quality and availability. Indians should choose Swadeshi products and services not to prove their patriotic credentials but because they offer world class quality at affordable prices. This indeed is the spirit behind the Prime Minister’s Swadeshi Challenge.
 
(The author is a Senior Journalist and Dean, School of Modern Media, UPES, Dehradun)