Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a passionate call for self-reliance during his speech in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday. He warned that India’s real biggest enemy isn’t any foreign power—it’s the country’s heavy dependence on other nations. “The world doesn’t have any major enemy for us,” Modi said. “If we do have one, it’s our reliance on other countries. That’s our greatest foe.”
Speaking at the “Samudra se Samriddhi” event, Modi urged everyone to fight this dependence head-on. He stressed that for global peace, stability, and prosperity, a nation like India—with its massive population of 1.4 billion—must stand on its own feet. “The more we depend on others, the bigger our failure,” he added. Modi made it clear: India’s self-respect and the future of its people can’t be left in someone else’s hands. He called on all citizens to commit to making everything from chips to ships right here in India, especially as the country eyes becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Modi didn’t hold back on criticizing the Congress party for years of missed opportunities. He accused them of ignoring India’s potential and trapping the economy in outdated “license raj” rules while later chasing imports that led to massive scams. In the maritime sector, he said Congress chose to rent foreign ships instead of building a strong shipbuilding industry at home. That decision, Modi pointed out, wrecked India’s shipbuilding ecosystem. Fifty years ago, Indian ships handled about 40% of the country’s trade. Today, that number has dropped to just 5%, leaving India shelling out billions to foreign vessels for nearly 95% of its cargo.
But things are changing fast under Modi’s government. He kicked off the event by inaugurating and laying the foundation for development projects worth more than Rs 34,200 crore in Bhavnagar. Modi highlighted bold reforms in India’s maritime sector, including five updated maritime laws that promise to shake up shipping and port operations. He announced a game-changer: All major ports will now switch to “One Nation, One Document” and a unified port process, ditching piles of paperwork to make trade smoother and quicker.
Modi boasted about India’s ancient knack for building massive ships, a skill the country lost touch with but is now reviving. In the last decade, the Indian Navy has added over 40 ships and submarines—almost all built domestically—including the giant INS Vikrant, complete with homegrown high-quality steel. “India has the talent; we just needed the political will,” he said. To boost this further, his government just gave large shipbuilding infrastructure status. That means easier bank loans, lower interest rates, and all the perks of big infrastructure projects, helping Indian companies compete globally without crushing financial strain.
Looking ahead, Modi outlined three key schemes to turn India into a maritime powerhouse. These will pump over Rs 70,000 crore into the sector for better funding, cutting-edge tech, and top-notch designs. He recalled hosting a shipbuilding seminar back in 2007 as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, which kickstarted local efforts. Now, the focus is nationwide. Modi called shipbuilding the “Mother of All Industries” because it sparks growth in steel, machinery, electronics, textiles, paints, and IT—creating a ripple effect for small and medium businesses (MSMEs). Research shows every rupee invested in shipbuilding brings back nearly double, and each shipyard job spins off six to seven more in the supply chain. “One hundred jobs in shipbuilding could mean over 600 elsewhere,” he noted.
To build the skills needed, Modi said Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and the Maritime University will step up training. The Navy and NCC are teaming up to prepare coastal youth not just for defense but for commercial shipping roles too.
India’s maritime momentum is already impressive. Modi pointed out the country is smashing goals ahead of time, like in solar power. Port capacity has doubled in the past 11 years, ship turnaround times have halved to under a day, and projects like Sagarmala are boosting connectivity. Big new ports are rising, including India’s first deep-water container trans-shipment hub in Kerala. He also revealed plans for Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra, a Rs 75,000 crore project set to rank among the world’s top 10.
With India already handling 10% of global maritime trade, Modi set an ambitious target: Triple that share by 2047. “We’re not just dreaming big—we’re making it happen,” he said, rallying the crowd to join the self-reliance drive.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
