In India, U.S.-based multinational companies are facing calls for boycotts as business executives and supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi fuel anti-American sentiment to protest against newly imposed U.S. tariffs. India, the world’s most populous nation, is a crucial market for American brands that have expanded rapidly to target a growing consumer base, many of whom view international labels as symbols of upward mobility.
For example, India is the largest market by users for Meta’s WhatsApp, and a popular U.S.-based pizza chain has more restaurants there than any other brand. American beverage companies are staples on store shelves, and people often line up when a new smartphone store opens or a coffee shop offers discounts.
While there has been no immediate sign of a drop in sales, a growing movement is emerging on social media and offline to buy local products and abandon American ones. This comes after Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, a move that has unsettled exporters and strained ties between New Delhi and Washington.
Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of a local skin-care company, used LinkedIn to share a video urging support for local farmers and startups to make “Made in India” a “global obsession.” He referenced South Korea’s success with its internationally famous food and beauty products. “We have lined up for products from thousands of miles away,” he said. “We have proudly spent on brands that we don’t own, while our own makers fight for attention in their own country.”
Rahm Shastry, CEO of a local company providing a car driver service, also posted on LinkedIn, stating that “India should have its own home-grown Twitter/Google/YouTube/WhatsApp/FB — like China has.” It’s worth noting that while Indian retail companies provide strong competition to foreign brands domestically, global expansion has been a challenge. In contrast, Indian IT services firms like TCS and Infosys have successfully become deeply integrated into the global economy by providing software solutions worldwide.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Modi made a “special appeal” for the country to become more self-reliant. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, he said that while Indian technology companies have created products for the world, “now is the time for us to give more priority to India’s needs,” though he did not mention any companies by name.
‘Don’t drag my coffee into it’
Despite the rising anti-American protests, Tesla opened its second showroom in India on Monday in New Delhi. The event was attended by officials from both the Indian commerce ministry and the U.S. embassy. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch, a group associated with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), held small public rallies across India on Sunday, calling on people to boycott American brands.
“People are now looking at Indian products. It will take some time to fructify,” Ashwani Mahajan, the group’s co-convenor, told Reuters. “This is a call for nationalism, patriotism.” He also shared a list his group is circulating on WhatsApp, recommending Indian brands of soaps, toothpaste, and cold drinks as alternatives to foreign ones. One of the group’s social media campaigns features a graphic titled “Boycott foreign food chains,” with logos of various restaurant brands.
However, not everyone shares this view. Rajat Gupta, 37, who was dining at a U.S.-based restaurant in Lucknow on Monday, said he was unconcerned about the tariff protests. He simply enjoyed his INR49 ($0.55) coffee, which he considered good value. “Tariffs are a matter of diplomacy,” he said, “and my coffee should not be dragged into it.”
