It was a busy Wednesday for TV news anchors, and an even busier one for Ramdev’s PR calendar. By some yoga miracle, the Patanjali cofounder managed to stretch himself across ABP News with Chitra Tripathi, Aaj Tak with Shweta Singh, News18 India with Aman Chopra, and even India TV’s Saurav Sharma. All on the same day.

The subject was the renewed push for “swadeshi” after Donald Trump’s tariffs. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the nation to go local, and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch plus RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, among others, have echoed the call. 

It’s a moment of reckoning. The share of manufacturing in the Indian economy is continuing to fall. In fact, as this Newslaundry piece explained, it’s at its lowest in the last nearly four decades. So if the hard questions can’t be asked on TV, what’s the easier way out?

Cue the man with the flowing beard and a never-ending Patanjali ad budget. Chase another boycott, just like TV’s previous response to China. Led by a man who had just last year called Trump a “Sanatan premi” and “nationalist”.

But so many prime-time interviews, same day, same theme? Even the most devout consumers of ayurvedic toothpaste might raise an eyebrow. After all, TV newsrooms have long served as Ramdev’s favourite yoga mat, where he has previously bent medical science out of shape, called allopathy a foreign conspiracy, and fretted about medical tourism. In between such pronouncements, there had been a run of Patanjali commercials to keep Patanjali’s coffers (and the channels’ ad slots) healthy. The Supreme Court had just last year closed contempt proceedings against the company for misleading ads.

Was Wednesday a spontaneous swadeshi media moment? Or synchronised deep-breathing?

Let’s take a look.

Aaj Tak

Speaking to Ramdev in a “mega exclusive”, Shweta Singh asked Ramdev, “The Swadeshi movement started before independence – it was made a symbol to send back the Britisher. You had also made swadeshi a weapon. But after independence, everyone forgot about it…Today, everybody in the country wants to understand whether Make in India is just a slogan or we have really brought it to the ground in reality.”

In his reply, Ramdev casually threw in a Patanjali plug. He boasted that while the company has a turnover of nearly Rs 50,000 crore, there is a sentiment of “altruism” behind it.

“The intention behind it [running Patanjali] is not to earn money; there is a sense of altruism behind the money – that the country's money should stay in the country and be used to serve the country. We have taken part in the upliftment and prosperity of the country…Swadeshi is not just a product for us; it is an idea. It is our sanskar. A culture. Self-respect. Swadeshi education, swadeshi medicine, swadeshi economy, swadeshi farming.” 

News18 India

In his “exclusive” conversation with the Patanjali cofounder on his show, Aman Chopra asked Ramdev, “Some people say this [50 percent tariffs] is a disaster, but you call it an opportunity. People are worried – what will happen to the GDP and businesses?”

Ramdev donned the hat of an economist. “India’s GDP will be good. India’s growth rate will be good. The value of India’s currency will increase. India’s economic progress will be greater [than before].”

And how does one fight American tariffs? “Boycott all American products…Don’t buy Apple phones…From Coca-Cola to Pepsi, customers should not be seen at their counters. Eat home food – dal, roti, vegetables. It’s healthier. If you stop eating burgers and pizzas for a while, your health will improve. Don’t buy McDonald’s, Subway, KFC, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Apple, or other American products – clothes, shoes, cosmetics, haircare, dental care, skincare.”

ABP News

In her “super exclusive” chat with Ramdev, Chitra Tripathi posed a question to Ramdev, “You were among those who awakened the country about swadeshi. But you’re also one of India’s biggest businessmen.”

All his business “is for service, not profit”, responded Ramdev. 

“Every rupee earned by Patanjali goes back into the nation – into gurukuls, universities, yoga centers, Ayurveda, and cultural revival. Unlike Unilever, Colgate, or Coca-Cola, which’ve done nothing for India, we’ve dedicated our lives and wealth to the nation. Money should be used for service, not exploitation,” he added.

This was somewhat similar to his claims about his counter to Hamdard’s Roohafza, in which case he had accused the Unani manufacturer of supporting jihad unlike his own company that stood for India.

Much like his dubious claims of Covid cures, his assertions that Patanjali Ayurveda is a non-profit company also fall flat. A charitable organisation set up by the company to advance yoga and Ayurveda allegedly did not engage in any charitable work for years. Instead, the tax-free charitable organisation was used for expanding the business.

India TV

On Coffee Par Kurukshetra, no one sipped coffee while Saurav Sharma discussed the swadeshi sentiment with Ramdev. 

“Until Trump comes to his senses, no citizen of India should be seen in an Apple showroom – whether rich or poor, or of any religion. Do not drink Coca Cola, Pepsi, and [buy from] Adidas, Puma, Nike…It is a complete disgrace that anyone is using American products at this time. If you do so, it is a direct deception of the country – in a way, you are committing a crime against the nation. Now, if India, China, Russia, some Middle Eastern countries, and some European countries come together to form a new alliance, then the dollar can be directly challenged.” 

India Today

In another “exclusive”, Ramdev spoke to Gaurav Sawant on his show India First. In the quick chat, Sawant asked Ramdev how big an obstacle American tariffs are to India. 

In his reply, Ramdev says, “America is behaving like a bully, like a dictatorship, like an insensitive nation. It is acting as if it were an enemy country. In such a situation, people of India cannot remain silent. Everyone must commit to boycotting all American products. The day Indians begin boycotting every American company and product, America will automatically be forced into its place, and it will come bowing before India.”

Republic Bharat

In a “super exclusive” interview with reporter Sagar Mishra, Ramdev said, “No one can deny India. A nation of 1.5 billion people is itself such a huge market from the perspective of consumers. And it is true that whether it is soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cream, or powder, whatever we use in our daily life, we must insist on making it 100 percent swadeshi. The nation’s wealth should remain within the country and be used in the service of the nation.” 

“If the people of India firmly issue a list of all American brands – from Apple to McDonald’s, from Coca-Cola and Pepsi to Adidas and Puma – then no one in the country should be seen at a McDonald’s counter, at KFC, Subway, or any other American brand’s outlet. No one should be seen at an Apple showroom. With the same pride as we once launched the Quit India movement against the British, we must now boycott American companies. The moment such a boycott begins, immense pressure will mount on Trump within America itself.”

Ramdev didn’t forget to plug Patanjali: “Patanjali has become an inspiration for swadeshi, for a self-reliant and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Without this, the country cannot truly progress. With 100 percent determination, backed by authenticity, research, innovation, and invention, we must shape ourselves according to the needs of the times.”

From one news studio to the other, Ramdev flowed seamlessly, delivering a cocktail of boycotts, patriotism, and Patanjali PR. Questions of manufacturing decline, economic strategy, and whether swadeshi can actually absorb tariff shocks went largely unasked.

Instead, Indian TV news once again rolled out the yoga mat for Ramdev – where economics, nationalism, and advertising can all bend in the same direction.

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