Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swadeshi mantra, stressing the importance of using domestic products and lauding the recent GST reduction on bicycles from 18% to 5%.
Speaking at the nationwide ‘Fit India: Sundays on Cycle’ initiative in New Delhi, Mandaviya said cycling promotes both fitness and sustainability while reinforcing the government’s call for Swadeshi. The event was held across over 8,000 locations and organised in collaboration with Indian Railways under the theme ‘Garv se Swadeshi’.
“To promote the Fit India mantra and the Prime Minister’s Swadeshi mantra, Sunday on Cycle was organised today at more than 8,000 locations across the country. Cycling is the message of Fit India—it is the best exercise, and it is the solution to pollution. While advancing the Swadeshi mantra, the Prime Minister has reduced GST on bicycles from 18% to 5%,” Mandaviya told reporters.
Highlighting the benefits of cycling, he said it not only helps people stay fit but also addresses pollution concerns. Over 50 Members of Parliament also joined the initiative to spread the message of Swadeshi and fitness.
The development comes after the 56th GST Council meeting, which streamlined tax rates into two primary slabs—5% and 18%—by merging the earlier 12% and 28% categories. Essential goods like dairy products, utensils, handicrafts, farm equipment, and medical kits are now under the 5% slab, while most goods and services, including automobiles and electronics, fall under the 18% bracket. Luxury and sin goods remain taxed at 40%, while certain health and education services remain exempt.
Mandaviya added, “Sunday on Cycle has become a movement in the country. Every citizen, to stay fit and promote Swadeshi, goes cycling every Sunday. Let us all promote the message of Fit India with the slogan of Swadeshi.”
