The North News
Dahod( Gujarat), May 26
In a fervent call for economic self-reliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged citizens to replace foreign-made goods with domestically manufactured products, saying India’s growing global stature in manufacturing makes it both a practical and patriotic choice.
Speaking at Dahod in Gujarat during the launch of multiple development projects worth ₹24,000 crore, including India’s first 9,000-horsepower electric locomotive engine, Modi asked, “Should we not stop using foreign goods in our homes when Made-in-India products are earning recognition across the world?”
The Prime Minister’s remarks were framed around the broader ambition of building a “Viksit Bharat” — a developed India — which, he said, requires all 140 crore Indians to rally around domestic manufacturing and innovation. “Self-reliance is not just a slogan but the need of the hour,” Modi declared, while highlighting that India is not only meeting its domestic demands but also exporting smartphones, automobiles, toys, pharmaceuticals, defence hardware, and even metro rail technology.
Dahod, he said, symbolised this industrial resurgence. Three years after laying the foundation stone for the Dahod Electric Locomotive Factory, Modi returned to inaugurate its first completed project: a powerful 9,000-HP electric locomotive. He flagged off the engine and praised the factory’s success as a “moment of pride” for Gujarat and the nation.
He also announced that Gujarat has become the first state to achieve 100% railway electrification, calling it a “remarkable milestone” and congratulating the people of the state. Beyond the economic message, Modi touched on broader national themes. In veiled criticism of Pakistan, he said, “The country born from partition has focused only on enmity and causing harm. India, in contrast, is focused on eliminating poverty and building strength.”
Linking national defence to economic strength, the Prime Minister argued that a truly developed India must be both economically sound and militarily robust. “Our government is working consistently to ensure that development and national security go hand in hand,” he added.
Reflecting personally on his political journey, Modi reminded the audience that May 26 marked ten years since he first took the oath of office as Prime Minister in 2014. He credited Gujarat’s unwavering support for propelling him to national leadership and said the faith of the people continues to inspire his efforts.
“In the last decade, India has taken decisions once considered unthinkable. We have broken free from decades-old limitations. From darkness and despair, the country has stepped into a new era of hope and confidence,” he said.
The event in Dahod served as a symbolic reminder of the Modi government’s focus on infrastructure, industrialisation, and national self-confidence as India heads into its next decade of growth.
