New Delhi : In continuation of his attempts to connect with Gen Z, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Instagram with a selfie-style video highlighting the economy’s stronger-than-expected performance in the first quarter of 2026-27, despite the “jhooth ki goonj” being spread across the country. The ‘jhooth ki goonj’ remark is being seen as a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ campaign to connect with the country’s youth.
Strong numbers. Even stronger confidence,” PM Modi captioned the nearly 3-minute video. The video marks a rare instance of the Prime Minister addressing a domestic issue while being on a foreign visit. The Prime Minister took pains to underline that India’s impressive growth has come amid a global environment marked by wars, disrupted supply chains and continued uncertainty since the Covid-19 pandemic. “The world is drowned in war. The world is surrounded by crises. The supply chain is completely disrupted. There has been no stability since the COVID pandemic. Despite that, India is developing very fast,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister also used the occasion to reiterate his call for Atmanirbhar Bharat, urging the people to embrace “vocal for local” and “wed in India”. He also urged Indians to embrace swadeshi by cutting back on overseas travel and unnecessary gold purchases. PM Modi had made a similar appeal in May as the impact of the Iran war and the Middle East turmoil sent the global economy into a tailspin.
As global fuel prices skyrocketed in May, PM Modi said cutting back on foreign travel and gold imports would help conserve foreign currency reserves as higher oil prices increase pressure on the country’s import bill. “We have to become self-reliant and follow the mantra of Vocal for Local and Wed in India. If there is no need, one should not even buy gold,” he said.
“The more we emphasise swadeshi, the more we emphasise self-reliance… I have firm faith that when India completes 100 years of independence, we will present a developed India to our young generation,” the Prime Minister said. PM Modi’s remarks come against the backdrop of the 7.8% GDP growth in April-June, which was well above the RBI’s estimate of 7%. Robust activity in manufacturing, services and investment is believed to be behind the performance.
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