By | Arvind Jadhav
Mumbai: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Swadeshi, leading trade and consumer organizations have announced a National Swadeshi Campaign, to be launched nationwide after a traders’ conference in Nagpur on 15–16 September.
At a joint press conference held at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, representatives of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Hawkers Joint Action Committee, and National Consumer Front underlined their collective resolve to turn Swadeshi into a mass movement.
CAIT Vice President and Thane Zila Wholesale Vyapari Welfare Mahasangh President Suresh Bhai Thakkar said the initiative comes at a time when the U.S. tariff war offers India an opportunity to strengthen its self-reliance.
> “Swadeshi products will be available in every shop, market, and street cart. The only alternative to foreign goods will be Swadeshi,” said CAIT National Secretary General and MP Praveen Khandelwal, stressing that the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision is fast becoming reality.
The upcoming Nagpur conference will see the participation of more than 400 trade leaders, hawkers’ associations, consumer forums, and industry representatives from across India. From there, the nationwide campaign will be rolled out to every village, town, and city.
CAIT National President B. C. Bhartia said that over 35 million shopkeepers and hawkers form the backbone of this mission. “If consumers are inspired to adopt Swadeshi, India’s economy will move in a new direction,” he stated.
The joint statement also warned against the rising influence of multinational corporations like Amazon and Walmart, alleging that unlawful e-commerce practices are threatening the livelihood of small traders. With India’s retail trade worth nearly ₹82 lakh crore, projected to reach ₹190 lakh crore in the next decade, leaders stressed that unchecked foreign entry could destabilize traditional trade.
Deepak Sharma, another speaker, pointed out that since 1991 traders have been wrongly branded as middlemen, while the real issue lies in the influx of cheap imports, especially from China, which has harmed small industries, reduced jobs, and widened the trade deficit.
> “This campaign is not just about trade—it is a movement for economic freedom and the foundation for a stronger India,” Sharma added.
The Nagpur conference is expected to set the tone for a national strategy, marking the beginning of a large-scale Swadeshi movement.
