Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on September 20, 2025, at the 'Samudra se Samriddhi' program in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, emphasised India's critical need to become self-reliant, stressing that "be it chips or ships, they must be Made in India."

He described foreign dependency as the nation's biggest enemy, asserting that reliance on others compromises national self-respect and threatens the future of 140 crore citizens. Modi highlighted the historical strength of India’s shipping sector, which has drastically fallen from handling 40% of India's import-export trade by Indian-built ships 50 years ago to just 5% today, with 95% reliance on foreign vessels.

He sharply criticised the policies of the Congress-led governments post-independence, citing their prolonged license-quota regime and focus on imports during globalisation, which caused the collapse of the domestic shipbuilding ecosystem.

Modi quantified the consequence of this decline, revealing that India currently pays nearly $75 billion (approximately ₹6 lakh crore annually) to foreign shipping companies—almost equal to the country’s defence budget—leading to significant foreign exchange outflow and loss of economic opportunity.

To reverse this, Modi announced major reforms aiming at maritime self-reliance. These include deregulation at Indian ports, rolling out "One Nation, One Document" and "One Nation, One Port" initiatives to simplify trade and documentation, and legislative reforms with five new maritime laws passed recently to modernise shipping and port governance.

Moreover, the government has declared ships as infrastructure to facilitate easier financing, and unveiled schemes worth over ₹70,000 crore to modernise shipyards, adopt advanced technologies, and enhance design and quality standards.

Modi stressed the strategic importance of the shipbuilding industry, calling it the "Mother of All Industries" due to its multiplier effect on allied sectors like steel, machinery, electronics, textiles, paints, and IT.

He noted that every rupee invested generates double economic return and creates multiple jobs across supply chains. Highlighting India's current capabilities, the Prime Minister pointed to domestic construction of naval ships and submarines, including the INS Vikrant, as proof of India’s skill and the government's political will to expand shipbuilding.

Modi made a powerful call for Atmanirbhar Bharat by 2047, urging collective national resolve to reduce external dependence and build India's indigenous capacities across strategic sectors including both chips and ships, to ensure sustainable growth, national dignity, and global leadership.

This comprehensive focus on maritime reforms and self-reliance complements efforts in other strategic domains, presenting a unified vision of economic sovereignty and industrial resurgence for India.

Agencies