By Deepti Verma

Copyright republicworld

Bhavnagar (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled a massive development push in Gujarat, inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 34,200 crore at the ‘Samudra se Samriddhi’ event in Bhavnagar.Placing “aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance) at the heart of his address, the Prime Minister said India must defeat its biggest enemy — dependence on other countries. “Be it a chip or a ship, it should be made in India. Self-reliance is the only answer to many of our challenges,” he asserted, while urging people to back swadeshi goods.Calling India’s ports the “backbone of our nation’s rise as a global maritime powerhouse”, PM Modi highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen port connectivity through programmes like Sagarmala — the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, transforming the country’s maritime sector.“In 11 years, India has doubled its port capacity. Before 2014, the turnaround time for ships in India was two days; now it has been reduced to less than a day,” he said. The Prime Minister added that India’s share in global trade through the sea currently stands at just 10% but vowed to triple it by 2047.PM Modi also noted that to propel India’s maritime sector to new heights new ports were being inaugurated. “The Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala was inaugurated in May. The Vadhavan greenfield port, which is under construction near Dahanu in Maharashtra, will double India’s container trade from the current levels upon completion. Scheduled to be finished by 2034, it is projected to be among the top 10 ports in the world,” the PM said.As part of the maritime sector initiatives, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 7,870 crore, including the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal at Indira Dock, new container terminals at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, cargo handling facilities at Paradip Port, the Tuna Tekra Multi-Cargo Terminal, firefighting and connectivity projects at Kamarajar Port, Ennore, coastal protection works at Chennai Port and Car Nicobar, as well as a Green Bio-Methanol Plant at Deendayal Port, Kandla and ship repair facilities in Patna and Varanasi.In addition, he launched multiple projects worth Rs 26,354 crore across Gujarat, including renewable energy plants, LNG infrastructure, solarisation of Dhordo village, coastal protection works, national highways, and healthcare expansions at Sir T. General Hospital, Bhavnagar, and Guru Govind Sinh Hospital, Jamnagar.’No dearth of talent in India’Emphasising India’s capacity to achieve self-reliance in critical sectors, including defence, PM Modi said, “There is no dearth of talent in India. What is needed is the will to back our own strength.”Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister held a roadshow in Bhavnagar and inspected an exhibition organised as part of the ‘Samudra se Samriddhi’ event. He was felicitated by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during the programme.