Ahmedabad, Sep 3 (IANS) Vapi, a well-known industrial town of Gujarat, is walking down the ‘swadeshi’ path, with residents showing keen interest in Made in India products and making a beeline to purchase them too.

This comes on the back of unilateral tariff imposition by the Trump administration and hence comes off as a good example of growing ‘atmanirbharata’, as envisaged by the Prime Minister.

Vapi is home to many small and micro industries. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s renewed push for ‘vocal for local’ and also a nudge to the traders to deal in Made in India products, the local market is witnessing abundant supply and purchase of swadeshi products.

The small and micro industries here are producing a wide range of household products for daily use, which are getting a good market locally, resulting in the generation of good employment.

Those units manufacturing school bags and luggage bags are reaping good benefits from the government’s ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign. A small unit named Mahaveer Sales Agency in Vapi that manufactures bags has benefited significantly.

Earlier, foreign and international brands dominated the bag industry. Domestic units were not able to find markets, but the Vocal for Local campaign has given a new momentum.

Now, people are adopting local products over foreign brands. Due to this, the production capacity of local producers has increased, business has increased, and more importantly, employment opportunities are also being created.

Businessmen as well as locals are appreciating this government effort and expressing their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mayur Jain, manufacturer of Mahavir Bags, said, “We have been producing and selling school bags and laptop bags since 1988, but since the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign began in 2019, we have achieved more growth in seven years than in the previous 30 years.”

Nimesh Savla, Supplier, Savla Laminates, says, “We manufacture fabric for use in the packaging industry and in school and luggage bags. Now, government schemes like ‘Vocal for Local’, ‘Make in India’, and the ‘Swadeshi Abhiyan’ have been very helpful, and we are doing excellent work.”

Worker Nuriddin Ansari said, “We have been living in Vapi for 10 years, and through the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, I got a job. I earn around ₹25,000 per month.”

A customer said, “We support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, and that’s why we choose to support local brands”

Earlier, most of the raw material in the bag industry came from China, but now, due to the Swadeshi campaign, these units are becoming dependent on local raw material. Suppliers, producers, employees working in the unit and consumers are all benefiting from this.

–IANS

mr/dan