Author: Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – From McDonald’s and Coca-Cola to Amazon and Apple, U.S. multinationals are facing calls to boycott India as anti-U.S. sentiment from business director and supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stoke Anterican, to protest U.S. tariffs.
India, the most populous country in the world, is a major market where American brands quickly expand to target affluent consumer base, many of whom remain obsessed with international labels and are seen as a symbol of development in life.
India, for example, is the largest market for users, and Meta’s whatsapp and Domino have more restaurants than any other brand in the country. Drinks like Pepsi and Coca-Cola often dominate the shelves, and people still line up when new Apple stores open new Apple stores or Starbucks Cafés.
While there is no immediate sign that sales are being hit, Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, leaving a damaged link between exporters and New Delhi and Washington.
McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Amazon and Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters’ questions.
Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of India’s Wow Skin Science, brought to LinkedIn and provided a video message urging support for farmers and startups to make “Made in India” a “global obsession” and learn from the famous South Korean South Korea.
“We’ve lined up thousands of miles away. We’re proud to spend on brands we don’t own, and our own manufacturers are fighting for attention in their own country,” he said.
“India should have its own home Twitter/google/youtube/whatsapp/fb, just like China,” Rahm Shastry, CEO of India Driveu, wrote on LinkedIn.
To be fair, Indian retail companies offer challenges for foreign brands such as Starbucks in the domestic market.
However, Indian IT services companies are deeply rooted in the global economy, with companies like TCS and Infosys providing software solutions to customers around the world.
Modi became a “special appeal” for self-reliance on Sunday, telling a party in Bengaluru that Indian tech companies made products for the world, but “it’s time for us to prioritize Indian demand.”
He did not name any company.
Don’t drag my McPeo into it
Even as Tesla opened a second showroom in India in New Delhi amid anti-U.S. protests, officials from India’s Commerce Department and U.S. Embassy officials attended the opening on Monday.
Swadeshi Jagran Manch group, which is linked to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party, held a small public rally in India on Sunday urging people to boycott American brands.
“People are looking at Indian products now. “It’s a call for nationalism, patriotism,” Ashwani Mahajan, the group’s co-summoner, told Reuters. ”
He also shared with Reuters the tables his team circulated on WhatsApp, listing Indian brands of Indian bath soap, toothpaste and cold drinks that people can choose from.
On social media, one of the group’s campaigns is the graphic titled “Boycott of Foreign Food Chains”, logos for McDonald’s and many other restaurant brands.
Rajat Gupta, 37, who was dining at McDonald’s in Lucknow on Monday, said he was not worried about the tariff protests and he just liked Rs 49 ($0.55) of coffee and he thought he thought it was worth the money.
“Tariffs are diplomatic issues, and my McPuff should not be dragged into coffee,” he said.
(Reports by Aditya Kalra; other reports by Saurabh Sharma, Praveen Paramasivam and Aditi Shah)
