While congratulating the country for the 7.8% economic growth witnessed in the April-June 2026 quarter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again cautioned the Indian public to choose ‘Swadeshi’ in terms of their travel plans, and wedding locations, and to refrain from buying gold unless necessary.

India’s GDP growth at 7.8% in Q1, slower than last quarter but quicker than last year

The government on Monday (August 31, 2026) released the latest data on India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which showed that GDP grew 7.8% in the April-June 2026 quarter as compared to 6.9% in the same quarter of last year. This, Mr. Modi said, was a remarkable achievement given the global situation.

“The world is drowned in war,” he said in a social media post. “There is news of war all around. The world is surrounded by crises. The supply chain is completely disturbed. From the Covid era in 2020 till today, stability is not visible anywhere. Despite that, India is progressing at a fast pace.”

However, he also reiterated the appeal he made in May in which he had asked Indians to avoid activities that would result in crucial foreign exchange flowing out of the country. 

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“Don’t travel to foreign countries for tourism,” Mr. Modi said in his latest video. “Avoid organising destination weddings in foreign countries. We should live by the mantra of ‘Wed in India’. Avoid buying gold if it’s not necessary.”

“If we continue to emphasise self-reliance, I have full faith that when we reach 100 years of independence, we will hand over a developed India to our youth,” he added.

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The Prime Minister had made a similar appeal in May, at the height of the ongoing conflict in Iran. 

At the time, he had asked Indians to prioritise working from home, reduce petrol and diesel usage by using public transport and electric vehicles, reduce the use of cooking oil, stop buying gold for at least a year, buy Indian-made products rather than foreign ones, pause foreign travel, and adopt natural fertilisers instead of using imported chemical ones.