New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) As the revised Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure came into effect from today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens to support locally manufactured products and called upon state governments to foster industry and improve the investment environment.
In a letter addressed to the nation on the occasion of the GST reform rollout, the Prime Minister urged both buyers and sellers to promote Swadeshi goods during the ongoing festive season.
“This festive season, let us also resolve to support products that are Made in India,” Modi wrote. “This means buying Swadeshi products that have the sweat and toil of an Indian involved in their making, irrespective of the brand or the company that makes them.”
In his letter uploaded on his social handle X, he further stated that choosing Indian-made goods not only supports domestic industry but also contributes to livelihoods and employment generation, particularly for artisans, workers, and small manufacturers.
“I appeal to our shopkeepers and traders to sell products that are Made in India. Let us proudly say – what we buy is Swadeshi. Let us proudly say – what we sell is Swadeshi,” the Prime Minister added.
Modi also urged state governments to play a proactive role in promoting industrial growth and improving their respective investment climates. “Encouraging manufacturing and industry will directly contribute to job creation, income generation, and the nation’s economic growth,” he said.
The Prime Minister hailed the GST rate restructuring as a “citizen-centric” reform that aims to simplify compliance while reducing the tax burden on essential commodities. Under the new framework, the earlier four-tier system has been replaced with a simplified two-tier structure, featuring tax slabs of 5% and 18%.
“Daily essentials such as food, medicines, soap, toothpaste, insurance and many more items will now either be tax-free or fall in the lowest 5% tax slab,” Modi noted. “Goods that were earlier taxed at 12% have almost entirely shifted to 5%.”
The government has positioned the GST reform as a measure that benefits all sections of society — including farmers, women, youth, the poor, the middle class, traders, and MSMEs — by reducing costs and improving transparency.
Highlighting public response, the Prime Minister lauded several shopkeepers and retailers for displaying “then and now” boards that illustrate the tax differences before and after the reform, adding that such initiatives help build trust in the system.
The GST rate revisions took effect on September 22, coinciding with the first day of Navratri, and the Government is expecting to bolster consumption and streamline business practices ahead of the festive season.
