PM Modi lays strong thrust on self-reliance, says India's biggest enemy is its dependence on other nations

Bhavnagar (Gujarat) [India], September 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid strong emphasis on self-reliance, saying that India's biggest enemy is "its dependence" on foreign nations" and the nation must overcome it.
Addressing 'Samudra se Samriddhi' event in Bhavnagar, Prime Minister Modi also attacked the Congress stating that the party in it long years in power did not properly develop the country's potential
"Duniya mein koi hamara bada dushman nahi hai. Agar hamara koi dushman hai toh woh hai dusre deshon par hamari nirbharta, yahin hamara sabse bada dushman hai..(India does not have a major enemy in the world. If we have an enemy, it is our dependence on other countries. It is our biggest enemy)," he said.
PM Modi said people will have to defeat this enemy. "The more we are dependent, the bigger is it a failure for us. For peace, stability and prosperity in the world, the country with largest population will have to be self-dependent. If we are dependent on others, our self-respect will be hurt. We cannot leave future of 140 crore Indians on others, we cannot leave the resolve to develop the country on others, we cannot put future of coming generations at stake, he said.

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development works worth over Rs 34,200 crore in Bhavnagar.
He said the government has begun a series of reforms in the maritime sector.
"Our government has presented five maritime laws in a new form before the nation. These laws will bring a major transformation in the shipping sector."
Attacking Congress, he said that instead of strengthening shipbuilding in India, the party ss considered it better to rely on hiring foreign ships.
"As a result, India's shipbuilding ecosystem collapsed, and dependence on foreign vessels became our compulsion. The consequences were severe: fifty years ago, around 40% of our trade was carried on Indian ships, but today that figure has fallen to barely 5%. This means that for nearly 95% of our trade, we became dependent on foreign ships that cost the nation dearly," he said.
"There has never been any shortage of capability in India. But Congress consistently ignored the nation's potential. That is why, even after six to seven decades of independence, India could not achieve what it truly deserved. There were two major reasons for this. For a long time, Congress trapped the country in the licence raj and kept it isolated from global markets. Later, when the era of globalisation began, it merely followed the path of imports and even then, indulged in scams worth thousands of crores. Through such policies, Congress caused great harm to the youth of our nation," he added.
PM Modi said if India is to become a developed nation by 2047, it must become self-reliant, there is no alternative to self-reliance and that all 140 crore citizens must commit to the same resolve--whether it is chips or ships, they must be made in India.
He said India's maritime sector is now moving towards next-generation reforms. He announced that from today, all major ports in the country will be freed from multiple documents and fragmented processes. The implementation of 'One Nation, One Document' and 'One Nation, One Port' Process will simplify trade and commerce. Shri Modi highlighted that during the recent Monsoon Session, several outdated laws from the colonial era were amended. He informed that a series of reforms have been initiated in the maritime sector, and five maritime laws have been introduced in a new form. These laws will bring major changes in shipping and port governance.
Underlining that India has been an expert in building large ships for centuries, the PM remarked that next-generation reforms will help revive this forgotten legacy. He highlighted that in the past decade, more than 40 ships and submarines have been inducted into the Navy, and barring one or two, all have been built in India. He noted that the massive INS Vikrant was also constructed domestically, including the high-quality steel used in its production. PM Modi emphasized that India possesses the capability and lacks no skill. He assured the nation that the political will required to build large ships is firmly in place.
Highlighting that a historic decision has been taken to strengthen India's maritime sector, PM Modi announced a major policy reform under which large ships have now been accorded infrastructure status. He remarked that when a sector receives infrastructure recognition, it gains significant advantages. The PM highlighted that shipbuilding companies will now find it easier to secure loans from banks and will benefit from reduced interest rates. All benefits associated with infrastructure financing will now be extended to these shipbuilding enterprises. PM Modi emphasized that this decision will reduce the financial burden on Indian shipping companies and help them compete more effectively in the global market.
Emphasising that to make India a major maritime power, the Government is working on three major schemes, the PM remarked that these initiatives will ease financial support for the shipbuilding sector, help shipyards adopt modern technology, and improve design and quality standards. He informed that over ₹70,000 crore will be invested in these schemes in the coming years.
Recalling that in 2007, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, a major seminar was held in Gujarat to explore shipbuilding opportunities, PM Modi remarked that it was during that period that Gujarat extended support to develop a shipbuilding ecosystem. He stated that India is now taking comprehensive steps to promote shipbuilding nationwide. He emphasized that shipbuilding is not an ordinary industry; it is globally referred to as the "Mother of All Industries" because it drives the growth of multiple allied sectors.
The Prime Minister highlighted that industries such as steel, machinery, electronics, textiles, paints, and IT systems are all supported by the shipping sector. He noted that this creates significant benefits for small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Citing research, the Prime Minister stated that every rupee invested in shipbuilding generates nearly double the economic return. He added that every job created in a shipyard leads to six to seven new jobs in the supply chain, meaning 100 shipbuilding jobs can result in over 600 jobs in related sectors, underscoring the massive multiplier effect of the shipbuilding industry.
Prime Minister further stated that focused efforts are being made to strengthen the essential skill sets required for shipbuilding. He remarked that India's Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will play a key role in this initiative, and the Maritime University's contribution will be further expanded. PM Modi highlighted that in recent years, new frameworks have been developed through coordination between the Navy and NCC in coastal areas. He added that NCC cadets will now be prepared not only for naval roles but also for responsibilities in the commercial maritime sector.
Stressing that today's India is moving forward with a distinct momentum, the PM remarked that the nation not only sets ambitious goals but also achieves them ahead of schedule. In the solar sector, India is meeting its targets four to five years in advance. Shri Modi highlighted that the objectives set eleven years ago for port-led development are now being met with remarkable success. He informed that large ports are being developed across the country to accommodate large vessels, and connectivity is being enhanced through initiatives like Sagarmala.
Noting that in the past eleven years, India has doubled its port capacity, PM Modi highlighted that prior to 2014, the average ship turn-around time in India was two days, whereas today it has been reduced to less than one day. He informed that new and large ports are being constructed across the country. He remarked that recently, India's first deep-water container trans-shipment port has commenced operations in Kerala. Additionally, the PM announced that the Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra is being developed at a cost exceeding ₹75,000 crore, and it will rank among the top ten ports in the world.
Mentioning that India currently accounts for 10 percent of global maritime trade, PM Modi emphasized the need to increase this share and declared that by 2047, India aims to triple its participation in global sea trade--and will achieve it. (ANI)