Bhavnagar, Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday underscored the urgency of reducing India’s dependence on foreign nations, declaring that “the only cure for a hundred problems is a self-reliant India” as he launched the ambitious ‘Samudra se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity from the Sea) programme in Bhavnagar.
Addressing a massive gathering, the Prime Minister said that while the event was taking place in Bhavnagar, its significance spanned the entire country. He congratulated the people of Gujarat for hosting the launch, which aims to reposition India’s maritime sector as a global powerhouse.
During his address, the Prime Minister highlighted the historic losses suffered due to neglect of India’s shipbuilding capacity, particularly under previous governments. He noted that while India once built ships that carried over 40 per cent of its trade, the figure had now plummeted to just five per cent. “Today, India pays nearly $75 billion annually to foreign shipping companies—almost equal to our defence budget,” he said, calling the trend “a dangerous dependence that must end.”
Modi announced that large ships have now been recognised as ‘infrastructure’, a policy shift that will allow shipbuilding companies easier access to bank credit, reduced interest rates, and other financing benefits. He also unveiled three new schemes worth over ₹70,000 crore to strengthen the shipbuilding sector, modernise shipyards, and improve design and quality.
Referring to shipbuilding as the “Mother of All Industries”, the Prime Minister said the sector has a massive multiplier effect on the economy, with every 100 jobs in shipbuilding creating over 600 in allied industries. He stressed that India must embrace indigenous manufacturing across the board: “Whether it is chips or ships, we must make them in India.”
The Prime Minister also announced that processes at major ports would now be simplified under ‘One Nation, One Document and One Nation, One Port’, a step aimed at easing trade and business. He pointed to achievements in port-led development, noting that India has doubled its port capacity in the last decade and reduced ship turnaround time from two days to less than one.
Highlighting Gujarat’s role in maritime growth, he praised the Alang shipbreaking yard for generating employment and the state’s ports for handling 40 per cent of India’s cargo. He also emphasised the cultural and historical significance of India’s maritime heritage, announcing progress on the Lothal Maritime Museum, set to become the world’s largest of its kind.
Concluding his address with an appeal to shopkeepers and citizens alike, Modi urged everyone to embrace indigenous products: “Say with pride, this is indigenous.” He described this as the key to transforming every festival into a celebration of India’s prosperity.