Don’t buy gold: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people not to buy gold, avoid unnecessary foreign travel and weddings abroad, linking his appeal to the broader push for self-reliance and greater use of domestically produced goods.

In a selfie-style video message shared on social media, PM Modi congratulated the country on recording 7.8 percent economic growth and said sustaining the momentum would require a stronger focus on domestic production and self-reliance.

Modi reiterated his government’s emphasis on building a self-reliant India and encouraging consumers to support domestic products and businesses. 

“If you are going to any foreign country, then stop. If you are getting married abroad, then you should stop it. We should live by the mantra of ‘Wed in India’. If it is not necessary, then we should not buy gold,” he said.

He argued that a greater emphasis on domestic production and self-reliance would be necessary to meet India’s long-term development goals.

“The more we emphasise Swadeshi and Atmanirbharta, I am firmly convinced that when 100 years of independence are completed, we will hand over a Viksit Bharat to our youth,” he added.