India’s Boycott Calls Against American Goods

August 18th, 2025
Sharikkaa Shanker

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on Indian exports, a move aimed at forcing New Delhi to the negotiating table. Instead, it has sparked a precipitous reaction within India, as political groups, activists, and ordinary citizens are now calling for a boycott of American goods. What began as a trade dispute is morphing into a populist economic movement, carrying both symbolic weight and uncertain economic consequences.

The flashpoint was Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian exports, a move justified in Washington as necessary to “rebalance” trade. For India, however, the tariffs were seen as punitive, targeting industries from textiles to pharmaceuticals that employ millions. The backlash was immediate: street demonstrations, fiery speeches in parliament and a torrent of social media campaigns urging Indians to reject U.S. brands.

At the forefront is the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), a group closely tied to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Its activists have rolled out the slogan “Videshi Companies Bharat Choro”—“Foreign companies, leave India.” Across cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai, rallies have been held where organizers distribute leaflets listing Indian alternatives to American consumer staples. Everything from toothpaste to smartphones has become part of this symbolic tug-of-war.

The boycott calls have also found resonance in India’s turbulent political scene. Ashok Kumar Mittal, a parliamentarian from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), made headlines with a provocative open letter: “What if 146 crore Indians boycott American companies operating in India?” His statement was both a challenge to US policy and a rallying cry for voters skeptical of foreign influence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been more measured, avoiding direct references to American companies. Yet, his Independence Day speech—delivered in the midst of the uproar—underscored the theme of economic self-reliance. Modi urged Indians to be “vocal for local,” a phrase that resonates with his government’s long-standing campaign to reduce dependency on imports. While not an explicit boycott endorsement, the timing of his remarks did not land on deaf ears.

The companies most visibly caught in the storm are global giants with deep footprints in India: Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Walmart. Campaigners have shared lists of “desi alternatives” through WhatsApp and Facebook groups, encouraging citizens to swap Coke for local soft drinks, iPhones for Indian-made mobiles and fast-food chains for street vendors.

So far, however, the impact on sales appears limited. In one telling scene, a McDonald’s outlet in Lucknow was still packed with families, one customer dismissing the boycott calls as “politics over trade.” Industry analysts suggest that while symbolic boycotts can dent brand reputation, India’s vast consumer base is often guided more by price and convenience than by politics.

Still, the stakes are significant. The U.S. is one of India’s largest trading partners, with bilateral trade exceeding $190 billion last year. American firms employ tens of thousands directly in India and are deeply integrated into its digital economy, retail sector, and supply chains. A sustained boycott movement—if it gains real traction—could complicate investment flows at a time when India is positioning itself as a manufacturing alternative to China.

From the US perspective, the tariffs are part of a broader effort to recalibrate global trade relations. But with India responding through both grassroots activism and hints of policy pushback, Washington risks sparking nationalist backlash in a market it cannot afford to alienate.

The current wave of boycott calls underscores the intersection of diplomacy, politics, and consumer behavior. In practice, organized boycotts in India have often been short-lived, more symbolic than substantive. Yet, they reveal the depth of nationalist sentiment and the ease with which economic policy can spill into public anger.

For now, American brands in India are taking a cautious approach, refraining from public comment while monitoring sales data closely. Policymakers in New Delhi, meanwhile, face the delicate task of channeling public frustration without jeopardizing economic ties that remain vital to India’s growth story.

What began as a tariff dispute is quickly evolving into a test of U.S.-India relations in the public sphere. Calls to boycott American goods may not shutter McDonald’s outlets or send iPhone sales plummeting overnight, but they serve as a reminder: in today’s interconnected world, trade wars are fought not only in boardrooms and parliaments, but also in the shopping baskets of ordinary citizens.

Extemp Analysis by: Daphne Kalir-Starr

Question: Is India’s grassroots boycott of US goods doomed to fail?

AGD: As usual, I’ll offer two ways to go about this AGD. The first is humor, which tragically is easily deployable in a Trump related topic. You could make a joke about how Narendra Modi plays the Star Wars theme song after his speeches, but now it’s Donald Trump who’s gone to the dark side (or maybe he glows in the dark because he’s orange). The other alternative is to tell an advocative story. Find someone who was fired after an Indian company severed ties with the United States. Find someone who relies on US consumers to sell their goods. Find someone who relies on US products to fund their business, or keep them healthy. Better yet, find someone who’s boycotting US goods! There are some good stories in this article.

Background: Tight three sentences. First should be about Trump’s global tariffs and his 50% spike on India. If you think it’s necessary, define what a tariff is. The second sentence should be about recent boycotts and the grassroots aspect of this. Find the names of the epicenter cities. Finally, last sentence should be about how India is still reliant on the United States, and explaining how a boycott would still be difficult for intertwined economies.

Sig: I think we fall into a bad habit of only using statistics when we cover econ topics, so I would probably look for how many people will lose their jobs because of these tariffs. Or how much less affordable insulin will be for the American public (we rely on India for a lot of raw pharmaceutical chemicals and ingredients). Impact this out – how would it affect your life?

Question: Is India’s grassroots boycott of US goods doomed to fail?

Answer: Yes

Substructure:

Need for boycott to succeed (criteria)
Why in reality going to fail (lack of fulfillment)

US goods are too engrained in supply chains (point about how there aren’t scalable alternatives to US goods and they’re growing India’s economy/attracting international investment that major firms will continue courting)
Movement isn’t widespread (talk about how this is only in major cities and not really coordinated, and its more disjointed flash protests than anything else. This is a point that would benefit from a historical example of a flash protest/boycott in India that sputtered out)
Major politicians will shutter (point about how Modi still wants a trade deal in part to try and take over China’s role as a manufacturer for the US to gain global credibility, and doesn’t really want to burn bridges with Trump)