Swadeshi 2.0? LPU and Baba Ramdev urge Indians to boycott American goods to protest Trump tariffs

The Chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab, has recently made headlines for banning American soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, from its 40,000-student-strong campus. 

The boycott comes after the United States of America not only imposed a 25% tariff on imported Indian goods in the USA, but also doubled it to 50% on August 27, 2025. The tariff was imposed on Indian goods being imported into the USA because of India’s continued association with Russia for the purchase of crude oil. 

India continues to buy oil from Russia despite Western sanctions against doing trade with the latter, citing that such associations are funding Russia’s continued war against Ukraine. According to Reuters, as of 2025, Russian oil accounts for about one-third or 40% of India’s total crude oil imports.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in another Reuters report, said that bilateral relations between New Delhi and Moscow have been one of the steadiest among major nations in the world, going back all the way to the days of the Soviet Union. 

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LPU’s Chancellor Ashok Kumar Mittal called the tariff hike “hypocrisy and bullying” and declared that India must not bow to unfair pressure. Drawing inspiration from the Swadeshi movement of 1905, he said, “This move will incline Indians towards Swadeshi or Indian-made goods.”

The Swadeshi Movement was started in 1905 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Bipin Chandra Pal, who were collectively called Lal Bal Pal. The movement was an important part of India’s freedom struggle against the British Raj, encouraging Indians to use locally made goods and boycott British products to become self-reliant.

Besides LPU, yoga guru and founder of Patanjali, an Indian Ayurvedic FMCG company, Baba Ramdev urged Indians to boycott American fast-food chains and drinks and opt for home-grown products instead.

He cautioned that “not a single Indian should be seen at McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, Coca-Cola or Pepsi outlets.” He declared that such a boycott could cause serious consequences in America, forcing US President Donald Trump to roll back the tariffs like he did with China.

Ramdev also urged the administration to facilitate Indian industries by easing domestic taxation and providing incentives. He issued a call to upgrade India’s education and medical infrastructure to encourage citizens of the world to come to India to avail these facilities. 

“India, China, Russia, some countries from the Middle East and Europe together can make a new world order that can compete with the dollar,” he said in an interview with ANI.
Whether the boycott will pick up Swadeshi-era-like traction in India remains to be seen. However, the ongoing tension between India and the US is a reminder that trade issues can quickly impact everyday choices and brands, and how global business can get very personal in times of political conflict.