Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday, stressed that India’s greatest challenge in the modern world is its dependence on foreign nations. In a pointed reference to recent US policy decisions—including the imposition of steep tariffs on Indian imports and a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications—he identified reliance on external sources as the country’s “biggest enemy.” Modi underscored that true national strength and global respect can only be achieved through self-reliance, or Atmanirbhar Bharat, calling for a concerted national effort to reduce dependency across critical sectors ranging from semiconductors to shipbuilding.
The context of the Prime Minister’s remarks coincided with a US executive order that dramatically raised fees for H-1B visas, citing concerns over the replacement of American workers with cheaper foreign labor and broader national security issues. The administration claimed that misuse of the program had suppressed wages and disadvantaged domestic STEM professionals. This development followed earlier measures in which the US imposed high tariffs on Indian imports, particularly targeting India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which Washington viewed as indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine. Modi’s speech highlighted these international pressures as a reminder of the vulnerabilities created by excessive foreign dependence.
Reflecting on India’s economic history, the Prime Minister criticised past policies, especially under Congress-led governments, for stifling the nation’s potential. He noted that decades of license-quota restrictions kept India isolated from global markets, and even with the advent of globalization, the country continued to rely heavily on imports. Modi warned that such dependence compromises national development, asserting that the future of 1.4 billion citizens cannot be left in the hands of other nations. According to him, the only viable solution to these challenges is a robust, self-reliant domestic economy capable of meeting strategic and industrial needs independently.
Focusing on specific industries, Modi highlighted the strategic importance of domestic production in sectors like semiconductor chips and shipbuilding. He called shipbuilding “the mother of all industries,” emphasizing its ability to generate growth in ancillary sectors such as steel, machinery, electronics, textiles, paint, IT, and support for MSMEs across the country. He noted that India spends approximately Rs 6 lakh crore annually on foreign shipping services—an amount almost equivalent to the country’s defense budget—that could instead be invested domestically to strengthen the maritime sector and drive broader economic self-sufficiency. Through these remarks, Modi framed self-reliance not merely as an economic goal but as a strategic imperative to safeguard national interests and reduce vulnerabilities in an increasingly competitive global environment.
