Mann Ki Baat 139: Modi Marks 12 Years of the Show and Pushes Vocal for Local Before Diwali

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the 139th episode of Mann Ki Baat, broadcast at 11 am on Sunday, to mark 12 years of the monthly radio programme and to make a direct pitch to festive-season shoppers to buy Indian-made goods. The episode aired days before Diwali and Chhath, and much of it was built around the government's Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat themes.

Twelve years on air

Modi recalled that the programme first aired on Vijayadashami 12 years ago and said it had run without a break since. He described it as a kind of pilgrimage, a way of learning about the work of ordinary citizens and paying tribute to it. He said listeners had acted as both fellow travellers and guides, and that many messages he receives say the broadcast makes him feel like a member of their family.

The format has stayed consistent: Modi avoids day-to-day political controversies on the show and instead features grassroots initiatives, local achievements and government campaigns. Last month's edition, Mann Ki Baat 138, centred on the anniversary of the 2016 surgical strikes and Census self-enumeration.

The export examples behind the Vocal for Local pitch

The sharpest policy message this time was on domestic consumption. Modi said shoppers have begun giving more weight to Indian products during the festive season, and that this shift is helping local goods find buyers abroad. He named two examples: makhana (foxnut) from Purnia in Bihar is now being shipped to Greece, and tur dal from Kalaburagi in Karnataka is reaching the Maldives. Both, he said, show new overseas markets opening up for Indian farmers.

He also praised tribal producers in Maharashtra selling honey, mahua and bamboo products under the Shabri Naturals label. Their packaging, which carries tribal artwork, has won Japan's Good Design Award, he said. Modi asked listeners to give priority to goods made by local artisans while shopping for Diwali and to join cleanliness drives ahead of the festivals.

Farming, weaving and a revived river

Two community projects featured prominently:

• Nav-Trinjan, Punjab: Run by the Kheti Virasat Mission, the initiative grows organic and naturally coloured cotton without chemicals in the Malwa region. It also runs a weaving school that Modi said has changed the lives of many women.
• Heval river, Uttarakhand: In Tehri Garhwal, villagers and the local administration worked together on rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and tree planting after the river's flow fell and nearby springs dried up. Modi said the river has been revived and dozens of natural water sources restored.

Modi also listed other milestones, including 50 crore tele-consultations on the e-Sanjeevani platform, a revival of millet cultivation in the Northeast and brain research at IIT Madras.

The political backdrop

The broadcast came on a busy day for the Prime Minister, who travelled to his Varanasi constituency for the Indian Air Force's aerial display and an industrial inauguration. BJP leaders and chief ministers, including Odisha's Mohan Charan Majhi and Tripura's Manik Saha, held public listening events. The repeated focus on buying local also lines up with the government's broader push to lift domestic demand at a time when high crude prices and heavy foreign investor selling are weighing on the economy.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.