'Not a single Indian should be seen at the counters': Ramdev calls for boycott of US brands amid tariff hike
Ramdev claimed that the US would fall into chaos if Indians stopped purchasing products from Pepsi, Coca-Cola, KFC, McDonald’s, and other US-based companies
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Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Baba Ramdev has urged Indians to boycott American products after US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports.
Ramdev claimed that the US would fall into chaos if Indians stopped purchasing products from Pepsi, Coca-Cola, KFC, McDonald’s, and other US-based companies.
Speaking to ANI, Ramdev said, “Indian citizens should strongly oppose the 50% tariffs that America has imposed on India as political bullying, hooliganism, and dictatorship. American companies and brands should be completely boycotted.”
He described the US action on Indian products as “bullying, hooliganism, and dictatorship.” The yoga guru-turned-businessman also called on consumers to boycott outlets of Subway and McDonald’s.
“Not a single Indian should be seen at the counters of Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Subway, KFC, or McDonald’s. There should be such a massive boycott that chaos will ensue in America. Inflation will rise in the US to the point where Trump himself may have to retract these tariffs,” Ramdev said.
“Trump has committed a blunder by turning against India,” he added.
The Trump administration raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% less than a month after objecting to India’s oil trade with Russia.
Several Indian industries are likely to face a major setback, including gems & jewellery, apparel, and auto components. According to experts, the 50% tariff would erase India’s price advantage in categories like cotton bed linen and jerseys, creating opportunities for competitors such as Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Indian textile firms such as Welspun Living, Gokaldas Exports, and Indo Count derive 20%–70% of their overall revenue from the US market. The gems & jewellery sector, which contributes around 30% of India’s exports to the US—valued at $10 billion out of $190 billion in bilateral trade—will also be hit severely. The tariff threatens millions of jobs and endangers the livelihoods of numerous manufacturers and artisans.
