PM Modi Reviews Dholera Project, Highlights Foreign Dependence as Key Challenge
PM Modi surveys Dholera hub, urges India to cut foreign dependence for true self-reliance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), a transformative greenfield industrial hub located 100 kilometers south of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Saturday. The DSIR, envisioned as a beacon of sustainable industrialization and smart infrastructure, is a cornerstone of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation’s (NICDC) plan to develop industrial clusters along the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.
The Prime Minister’s Office released video footage of the survey, showcasing the ambitious project aimed at attracting global investment and fostering economic growth. Positioned 134 kilometers from Gandhinagar, Dholera is designed to redefine India’s industrial landscape with cutting-edge facilities and eco-friendly development.
Earlier in the day, at the ‘Samudra se Samruddhi’ event in Bhavnagar’s Gandhi Maidan, Modi passionately advocated for atmanirbharta (self-reliance), declaring dependence on foreign nations as India’s “only enemy.” Speaking at an event where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth Rs 34,200 crore, he emphasized, “From chips to ships, we must make everything. For peace, stability, and wealth, the country with the highest population in the world has to become self-reliant.”
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Highlighting the economic toll of foreign dependence, Modi revealed that India spends Rs 6 lakh crore annually on foreign shipping services, a figure comparable to the nation’s defense budget. He noted a steep decline in India’s maritime self-sufficiency, with only 5% of trade now carried by Indian-made ships, down from 40% five decades ago. To counter this, his government has classified large ships as infrastructure to bolster the maritime sector.
Criticizing past Congress-led governments for stifling innovation through policies like the license raj, Modi underscored that self-reliance is the “only medicine” for India’s challenges. He hailed India’s ports as the backbone of its emergence as a global maritime powerhouse, urging a collective push toward economic independence and sustainable development.
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