From Kyrgyzstan, Modi tells Indians to avoid foreign travel, gold purchase & overseas weddings

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the citizens of India from Kyrgyzstan, appealed to Indians to reduce non-essential foreign travel, avoid organising weddings at foreign destinations and non-essential gold purchases.

His remarks came while discussing India’s latest quarterly economic performance, which recorded 7.8% GDP growth. The appeal comes alongside the Prime Minister’s own extensive international travel schedule.

In a video message shared on Instagram on Tuesday, Modi encouraged citizens to follow the principles of “Swadeshi” and “Vocal for Local.”

He urged people to spend their holidays within India and consider hosting weddings domestically under the idea of “Wed in India.” He also advised citizens to purchase gold only when it is genuinely required.

Modi said that greater commitment to self-reliance and locally produced goods would strengthen his confidence that India could become a “Viksit Bharat” by the time the country completes 100 years of independence.

The Prime Minister’s comments followed the release of economic data by the Ministry of Finance on Monday, which showed that India’s economy expanded by 7.8% during the April-June quarter of the current financial year.

The growth exceeded expectations despite continuing instability in West Asia and the resulting disruption in global oil markets.

While praising Indians for helping sustain economic growth amid international uncertainty, Modi simultaneously called for greater economic self-reliance.

He specifically highlighted the need to limit unnecessary overseas travel, destination weddings abroad and non-essential gold purchases.

Modi had previously urged Indians to reconsider foreign travel earlier in the year, when tensions in West Asia intensified.

The conflict contributed to higher international fuel prices, creating additional pressure on India because the country depends significantly on imported energy.

While attending the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan, Modi had undertaken several overseas visits earlier in the year, including trips to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy in May. In June, he travelled to France for the G7 summit and subsequently visited Slovakia for bilateral engagements.

He later travelled to Seychelles for its Independence Day celebrations, followed by visits to Australia and New Zealand.

Between August 29 and September 1, he visited Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.