Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a “swadeshi” chord in his address to nation today, on September 21, urging citizens to support local products amid the H-1B visa fee hike and the 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the United States on Indian products.

PM Modi said, “Today, knowingly or unknowingly, many foreign products have become a part of our everyday lives… We should buy products that are Made in India, made with the hard work of our country’s youth—products that carry the sweat of our sons and daughters.”

“Mantra of Swadeshi gave strength to freedom movement, Swadeshi will also strength our quest for prosperity.”

PM Modi stressed all states will be equal stakeholders in the development race and urged them to give pace to manufacturing with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat [self-reliant India’ and swadeshi campaigns in mind.

“On the first day of Navratri, the country is going to take an important and big step for Atmanirbhar Bharat. With the sunrise tomorrow, the next generation GST reforms will come into effect.”

The prime minister said, “You will be able to buy things you like more easily. The poor, middle class, neo middle class, youths, farmers, women, traders and shopkeepers will benefit from this.”

PM Modi said the “dream of One Nation, One Tax has come true” and that GST reforms will bring happiness to every family while accelerating India’s growth story.

“The dream of One Nation One Tax has come true. GST reforms will bring happiness to every family, will accelerate India’s growth story,” PM Modi continued and said, “Earlier, there were dozens of taxes. Several check posts had to be crossed, forms needed to be filled. Everywhere there were different tax rules.”

PM Modi addressed the nation on the eve of Navratri and just as the restructuring of Goods and Services Tax (GST) slabs – from four categories 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent to two categories 5 per cent and 18 per cent – come into effect from September 22.

The address also comes as Donald Trump hiked the H-1B visa fee to whopping $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) – likely to impact hundreds of Indians. The measure, effective from today, i.e. September 21, aims to combat what the administration calls widespread abuse of the H-1B programme, particularly by IT outsourcing firms accused of displacing American workers and suppressing wages.