Dependence India’s biggest enemy, self-reliance is the key: PM

On a day the US raised the fee for H-1B visas to $1,00,000 annually, a move that may adversely impact Indian IT professionals and companies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for 'aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) and said "India's biggest enemy is its dependence on other nations". 

Speaking at the 'Samudra se Samruddhi' event in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth Rs 34,200 crore, the PM said: "The more we rely on others, the more we weaken ourselves. Our pride, our security, and the future of 1.4 billion Indians cannot be outsourced. There is only one cure for a hundred sorrows, and that is 'Atmanirbhar Bharat." 

Modi linked this vision to the energy sector, pointing out that India spends lakhs of crores every year on imported oil and gas, fuelling jobs abroad instead of within the country. “This dependence must end. India is determined to achieve energy self-reliance,” he said, stressing indigenous production of everything from semiconductor chips to ships.

Making an appeal to citizens to choose indigenous goods over imports, he said: “When you buy or sell, ensure it is Indian. Shopkeepers should proudly display posters saying: ‘Say with pride, this is indigenous.’ This spirit will turn every festival into a festival of India’s prosperity."

Targeting the Congress, the PM accused successive governments of keeping the country shackled in the “licence raj” after Independence, cutting it off from global markets. "India had everything it needed to succeed, yet its strength was suppressed. Even during globalisation, Congress governments did little but import, and in the process carried out scams worth lakhs of crores,” Modi told the crowd, adding that the youth paid the heaviest price.

India, he said, was once a formidable maritime power whose shipyards built vessels that drove international trade. Half a century ago, nearly 40 per cent of India’s imports and exports moved on Indian-built ships. “That figure has crashed to just 5 per cent,” he said, blaming the Congress policies for killing shipbuilding at home while enriching foreign companies.

The financial cost, Modi argued, was staggering. “Every year, we pay nearly Rs 6 lakh crore, around $75 billion, to foreign shipping companies. This is almost equal to our entire defence budget. This is the price of misplaced priorities,” he said. 

He announced sweeping reforms for the maritime sector, including “One Nation, One Document” and “One Nation, One Port Process” to simplify operations and cut red-tape. Recent parliamentary changes, he said, were aimed at dismantling colonial-era laws and injecting new life into shipping and port governance. One key policy shift, Modi noted, was the government’s decision to classify large ships as infrastructure.

“This recognition means easier loans, lower interest rates, and better financing opportunities. It will reduce burdens on Indian shipping companies and allow them to compete globally,” he said. The Centre, he added, was planning three major schemes worth Rs 70,000 crore to strengthen shipbuilding, upgrade technology, and boost design standards.

He also spoke of India’s cultural and historical maritime legacy, citing Bhavnagar and Lothal as examples of coastal heritage. A grand maritime museum at Lothal, he said, would soon become the world’s largest, much like the Statue of Unity has emerged as a new national symbol.

Salute moment goes viral 

PM Modi’s roadshow in Bhavnagar on Saturday witnessed a touching moment when a young boy standing by the roadside saluted him. Modi noticed the gesture and immediately returned the salute, a brief exchange that was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media, with users describing it as a “heartwarming moment.”