PM Modi Says Self-Reliance Is India’s Only Shield, Dependence on Others Its True Threat
At ‘Samudra se Samruddhi’ event in Bhavnagar, PM Modi urges India to produce everything from chips to ships to achieve atmanirbharta.
Bhavnagar, Sep 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasized the need for India to achieve ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance), warning that the country’s only true enemy is its dependence on other nations. He made the remarks at the ‘Samudra se Samruddhi’ event held at Gandhi Maidan in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 34,200 crore.
“In the true sense, India does not have any big enemy in the world. The only enemy of India is the dependence on other countries,” PM Modi said, adding that India must produce everything domestically, from semiconductor chips to ships, to ensure peace, stability, and economic growth.
Highlighting the financial burden of foreign dependence, he noted that India spends nearly Rs 6 lakh crore annually to transport goods overseas—a figure almost equal to the nation’s defence budget. Modi said, “Around 50 years ago, 40 per cent of our trade was carried on India-made ships. Today, that figure has dropped to just 5 per cent.”
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of India’s maritime sector, stating that ports form the backbone of the country’s rise as a global maritime powerhouse. Criticizing previous governments, he asserted that past restrictions, such as the licence raj, suppressed India’s inherent talent.
Concluding his speech, PM Modi reiterated that self-reliance is the only remedy for India’s challenges, urging citizens and industries alike to embrace the philosophy of atmanirbharta to strengthen the nation’s economy and strategic capabilities.
