Trump Slaps Tariffs, India Hits Back: From McDonald, Coca-Cola To iPhones, A Nationalist Boycott Storm Brews
India's vast consumer base has long been fertile ground for U.S. companies. McDonald's outlets are dotted across the country. Coke and Pepsi dominate beverage shelves in both small-town stores and urban supermarkets.
Apple store openings attract long queues. Starbucks offers discounted treats to crowds of loyal customers. WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has more users in India than anywhere else in the world. Domino's runs more outlets here than in any other country.
Now, anger is simmering after former U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods. The decision has unsettled exporters and sparked tension between New Delhi and Washington. While there is no clear sign of sales declines, the rhetoric against American imports is getting louder, both online and on the streets.
Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of Wow Skin Science, posted a video on LinkedIn urging shoppers to back Indian farmers and startups. He called for 'Made in India' to become a global obsession and cited South Korea's global reputation for food and beauty products.
'We have lined up for products from thousands of miles away. We have proudly spent on brands that we do not own, while our own makers fight for attention in their own country,' he said, as cited by the news agency.
Rahm Shastry, CEO of DriveU, a service that provides drivers on call, added his voice on LinkedIn. 'India should have its own home-grown Twitter/Google/YouTube/WhatsApp/FB like China has,' he wrote.
Indian companies already challenge foreign brands at home, particularly in retail and food. Still going global has remained an uphill climb. In technology, though, Indian IT firms such as TCS and Infosys serve clients across continents.
Speaking in Bengaluru on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi called for greater self-reliance. 'Indian technology companies make products for the world but now is the time for us to give more priority to India's needs,' he said, without naming any firm.
Even as boycotts gathered steam, Tesla opened its second showroom in the country on Monday in New Delhi. The launch drew both Indian commerce ministry officials and U.S. embassy representatives.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch staged rallies nationwide on Sunday. The group urged shoppers to switch to Indian alternatives and circulated a WhatsApp list of domestic brands, from soaps to cold drinks.
'People are now looking at Indian products. It will take some time to fructify. This is a call for nationalism and patriotism,' said group's Co-Convenor Ashwani Mahajan.
On social media, the group's 'Boycott foreign food chains' graphics display logos of McDonald's and other international restaurants.
In Lucknow, 37-year-old Rajat Gupta sat at a McDonald's on Monday, sipping a cup of coffee worth Rs 49. He brushed off the protests. 'Tariffs are a matter of diplomacy and my McPuff, coffee should not be dragged into it,' the report has quoted him as saying.
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