NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged Indians to embrace the ‘vocal for local’ mantra, asking people to avoid foreign holidays, hosting weddings abroad and buying gold unless necessary, while hailing the country’s robust GDP growth. He linked the appeal to his broader push for Swadeshi and self-reliance, saying these efforts would help sustain India’s growth and create opportunities for its youth.In a video message posted on social media, PM Modi congratulated the people of India on the country’s 7.8% GDP growth in the April-June quarter, saying the achievement was possible because of their “collective resolve and efforts”.He highlighted the fact that India had achieved the growth milestone despite conflicts, wars, global instability and supply-chain disruptions. He noted that there had been little stability globally since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but India had continued to make progress.“We have to maintain the speed of our growth. We have to grow. And for that we must become self-reliant,” PM Modi said, adding that the dreams of India’s youth would require sustained effort.He said continued focus on Swadeshi and self-reliance could help present the country’s youth with a developed India when the nation marks 100 years of Independence.The Prime Minister also said his government’s policies and intentions were clear and credited them for helping India reach “new heights of progress”. He alleged that attempts were being made to spread negativity and falsehood in the country, but said India had continued to grow despite them.India’s economy grew 7.8% year-on-year in the April-June quarter of 2026-27, beating expectations and showing resilience despite concerns over the economic impact of the West Asia conflict. Growth, however, moderated from 8.6% in the previous quarter.
