Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the promotion of Indian goods. He stated that every state would be an equal partner in India's development journey. He also appealed to state governments to join the Swadeshi movement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday. He described the changes to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will come into effect on September 22nd, as "next-generation reforms." He began his address by wishing the countrymen a happy Navratri. PM Modi said, "The 'GST Savings Festival', which begins on September 22nd, will bring happiness to every family and increase savings."

Everyday items will become cheaper  

PM Modi said that it was the result of the efforts of the central and state governments that the country was freed from the maze of dozens of taxes. The dream of One Nation, One Tax is to have a uniform system across the country. In PM Modi's words, reform is a continuous process. As times change, and the country's needs change, so too does the need for next-generation reforms. Therefore, these new GST reforms are being implemented, keeping in mind the country's current needs and future dreams. In the new form, its budget has been primarily focused on the tax slabs of only 5% and 18%. This means that most everyday items will become more affordable.

What will be cheaper from tomorrow?

PM Modi said that food items, medicines, soap, brush, paste, health and life insurance and many such services will either be tax free or only 5 percent tax will have to be paid. Out of the items which were earlier taxed at 12 percent, 99 percent i.e. almost 100, 99 percent items have now come under the tax bracket of 5 percent. PM Modi said that in the last 11 years, 25 crore people in the country have defeated poverty. Poverty has been defeated and after coming out of poverty, a huge group of 25 crore people is playing a big role in the country today in the form of New Middle Class.

🔴 #BREAKING | 'जब केंद्र और राज्य मिलकर आगे बढ़ेंगे, तो आत्मनिर्भर भारत का सपना पूरा होगा': पीएम मोदी #PMModi | #GST pic.twitter.com/aZju9FzSeE

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) September 21, 2025

Everyone's mouth will be sweet

PM Modi said, "The GST Savings Festival is going to start in the country tomorrow. This GST Savings Festival will increase your savings and you will be able to buy the things you want more easily. Our country's poor, farmers, middle-class people, shopkeepers, new middle-class, entrepreneurs, youth, women, farmers, women, shopkeepers, businessmen, entrepreneurs will all benefit greatly from this savings festival during this festive season. This means everyone will have something sweet to eat during this festive season."

He further said, "The happiness of every family in the country will increase. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to crores of families across the country on the next generation GST reforms and this savings festival. These reforms will accelerate India's growth story. They will make business easier, make investment more attractive, and make every state an equal partner in the race for development."

🔴 #BREAKING | 'विकसित भारत के लिए आत्मनिर्भरता जरूरी': पीएम मोदी #PMModi | #GST pic.twitter.com/Q9khlgtkBz

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) September 21, 2025

There were many obstacles 

PM Modi said, "Friends, when India took the step towards GST reform in 2017, it marked the beginning of changing an old history and creating a new one. For decades, the people of our country, all of you, the traders of the country, were entangled in a web of different taxes. Octroi, entry tax, sales tax, excise, VAT, service tax—there were dozens of different taxes in our country. If we wanted to send goods from one city to another, we had to cross countless checkpoints. We had to fill out countless forms, there were so many obstacles. Tax rules were different everywhere."

I remembered the story of 2014

PM Modi said, "I remember, when the country entrusted me with the responsibility of the post of Prime Minister in 2014, in that initial phase, an interesting incident was published in a foreign newspaper. It mentioned the difficulties of a company. The company said that if it had to send its goods from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, a distance of 570 kilometers, it was so difficult that they considered it and said that they would prefer the company to first send its goods from Bengaluru to Europe and then send the same goods from Europe to Hyderabad."

Credit was also given to the states

He continued, "Friends, this was the situation back then, due to the complexities of taxes and tolls, and I'm just reminding you of an old example. Back then, millions of companies and millions of countrymen faced daily problems due to the maze of various taxes on goods. The poor had to bear the added expense of transporting goods from one city to another. Customers like you were charged."

PM Modi said, "Friends, it was essential to free the country from this situation. So when you gave us the opportunity in 2014, we made GST our priority in the public interest and in the national interest. We discussed with every stakeholder. We addressed every doubt of every state. We found a solution to every question. By bringing all the states together, independent India's largest tax reform became possible."

PC:NDTVINDIA