India, Aug. 26 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday re-emphasised swadeshi at the inauguration of Maruti Suzuki India's e-Vitara electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing plant in Gujarat's Hansalpur, emphasising that the source of capital matters less than ensuring the Indian workforce drives the work.

"My definition of swadeshi is simple. I do not have any concern about whose money it is-whether it is dollars or pounds, or whether it comes from white or black [people]. What matters is that the sweat and the hard work should be Indian," Modi said at the inauguration, a day before the US imposes an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods from Wednesday.

Indian exports will face duties of up to 50%. It is among the highest the ...