Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to prioritise products made by local artisans during the festive season, highlighting the role of the “Vocal for Local” movement in building an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, as he marked the 12th anniversary of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat. He also highlighted community-led environmental conservation, traditional skills, organic farming, and advances in healthcare and brain research.
In the 139th episode of Mann Ki Baat, Modi described the monthly broadcast as a “pilgrimage” to understand people’s efforts and salute their contributions. He said it had brought to the fore individuals whose work often went unnoticed and offered an opportunity to salute the “collective strength of the people”.
Reviving traditional skills and millet cultivation
Turning to traditional skills, Modi highlighted the work of the non-profit Kheti Virasat Mission in Punjab’s Malwa region, where its Nav-Trinjan initiative promotes organic cotton cultivation, including naturally coloured cotton that does not require chemical dyes. The initiative has also set up a weaving school to pass on the craft to younger generations and help women earn a livelihood. He cited the examples of women who had moved from agricultural labour and domestic work to weaving shawls, towels and other textiles. One trainee, Rekha Rani, had never seen a handloom before her training, he said, adding that a shawl woven by her had been presented to President Droupadi Murmu.
Highlighting efforts to revive millet cultivation in the Northeast, he cited two women in Meghalaya’s Khanduli village who developed cookies, cakes, muffins and baby food from millets, helping increase demand for the crop. In Nagaland’s Kezoma, cultivation resumed in 2024 after more than a decade, followed by the village’s first millet festival in 2025, he said.
Community-led environmental conservation
He also cited efforts to revive the Heval river in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal region, where declining water levels and drying natural springs had prompted villagers and the local administration to work together.
“Measures were undertaken to capture rainwater, facilitate groundwater recharge and plant a large number of trees. Today, thanks to these efforts, the Heval river has been revitalized and simultaneously dozens of natural water sources have received help in their restoration,” Modi said.
Ahead of Diwali and Chhath Puja, Modi urged people to take responsibility for keeping their neighbourhoods clean.
‘Vocal for Local’ push ahead of festive season
Emphasising “Vocal for Local”, the PM said Indian products were reaching new international markets, citing makhana from Bihar’s Purnia being exported to Greece and arhar dal from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi reaching the Maldives.
He pointed to the tribal community’s initiative, Shabari Naturals, in Maharashtra, where tribal products such as honey, mahua, chironji and bamboo goods are sold in packaging inspired by tribal art. The packaging has received Japan’s Good Design Award, he said.
Modi added that sales of Khadi Gram Udyog products exceeded ₹28 crore in a single day on Gandhi Jayanti, ₹1.5 crore more than the previous year. He urged people to “prioritise products made by local artisans” during the festive season, saying this would strengthen the Vocal for Local movement and help realise the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Brain research and emerging technologies
Speaking about scientific research, Modi highlighted the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras, which he dedicated to the nation on October 19 during a visit to Chennai. Using the ‘Param Shakti supercomputer’, the centre is creating high-resolution digital 3D images of human brains, with a goal of mapping 100 brains in detail.
“This project is of immense importance because, despite significant scientific progress, the human brain remains a major scientific enigma… It has also been decided that this data from 100 human brains will be made available as an open-source resource for research across various fields,” he said, adding that a deeper understanding of the brain could create new avenues for research into conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
PM Modi also spoke about start-ups working on gold-quality verification, recovering money lost to bank fraud, artificial intelligence-assisted cervical cancer screening, flying electric vehicles and fast-charging batteries.
He paid tribute to optical-fibre pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany ahead of his 100th birth anniversary on October 31, urging young people to learn about Indian scientists.
Organ donation and tributes to national figures
He also urged people to consider organ donation, citing Shivani from Madhya Pradesh, whose family decided to donate her organs after a road accident.
“Such a step of humanity can bring happiness back into a family’s life, while also providing significant support to research efforts,” he said.
PM Modi also paid tribute to Maharishi Valmiki ahead of his birth anniversary on Monday and freedom fighter Bhai Parmanand, whose 150th birth anniversary falls on November 4. He urged citizens to participate in the Run for Unity on October 31 and extended his greetings for Diwali, Chhath and other upcoming festivals.