MODI'S RIPOSTE: ATMANIRBHARTA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a powerful pitch for India’s economic self-reliance, saying the country's biggest enemy was its dependence on other nations — a remark that took on sharper relevance in the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump's latest move to impose a $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) fee on H-1B visa applicants.

- Agencies

Speaking at the ‘Samudra se Samruddhi’ event at Bhavnagar's Gandhi Maidan, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth ₹34,200 crore, Modi urged the country to see this as a wake-up call. “In the true sense, India does not have any big enemy in the world. Our only enemy is dependence on other countries. The greater the dependence, the higher the rate of failure,” he said.

He underlined that India must build everything “from chips to ships,” stressing that the future of 1.4 billion Indians cannot be left to decisions taken in foreign capitals. “There is only one medicine for a hundred sorrows — Atmanirbharta (self-reliance),” the Prime Minister declared, drawing applause from the gathering.