‘Dependence Our Biggest Enemy’: PM Modi’s big remarks amid H-1B visa fee hike

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a strong message emphasising India’s need to reduce its reliance on other countries, calling dependence as the nation's “real enemy”, in remarks delivered during a public event in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Modi’s comments come in the backdrop of recent policy decisions by the United States including a steep hike in H-1B visa application fees and the continuation of hefty tariffs on Indian imports. The visa fee change, signed via executive order, imposes a US$100,000 fee on companies sponsoring H-1B workers, a move expected to impact Indians heavily given their large representation among H-1B visa holders. Addressing the crowd at the “Samudra se Samruddhi” event, Modi emphasised that India has “no major enemy in the world. Our only real enemy is our dependence on other countries. This is our biggest enemy, and together we must defeat this enemy of India, the enemy of dependence.” Self-Reliance as Strategic Imperative He framed self-reliance (or Atmanirbhar Bharat) not just as an economic strategy, but as vital for preserving national pride and ensuring that the future of India’s 1.4 billion population is not dictated by foreign power decisions. Modi stressed that greater foreign dependence leads to “greater national failure.” Focus on Shipping and Maritime Sector In his address, he also invoked India’s maritime and shipping sectors as examples of past dependence and potential for domestic revival. Modi noted that much of India’s trade is transported on foreign-owned vessels, costing the country around Rs 6 lakh crore annually, an amount almost equal to its defence budget. He said this could have been diverted into building a robust domestic shipping industry. “One Nation, One Document” He further laid out reforms in port documentation and processes: “One Nation, One Document” and “One Nation, One Port Process” to simplify trade, reduce red tape, and enhance India’s role in global supply chains. Modi invoked the analogy: “From chips to ships, we must make everything in India.” The speech reflects a sharpened resolve by the Modi government to insulate the country from external vulnerabilities in trade, immigration policy, and global economic shifts, asserting self-reliance as not just a policy goal but a strategic imperative.