Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pushed for strengthening self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) and lauded the role of companies like BSNL in advancing the goal.
Addressing a mammoth rally in Jharsuguda, western Odisha’s industrial hub, the Prime Minister framed his government’s GST reforms as a progressive step to augment household savings and launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing it of being “anti-people and anti-development.”
Modi’s brags come at a time when the punitive US tariffs loom over India.
The Prime Minister unveiled projects worth around ₹50,000 crore, including BSNL’s indigenous 4G services, saying the launch marked a significant leap towards self-reliance. “We are focusing on self-reliance in every area. Our resolve is to make India self-reliant in everything — from chips to ships. Any nation aspiring for economic strength must invest in this sector, as it benefits trade, technology and national security,” he said.
Invoking Lord Jagannath along with western Odisha’s revered deities, goddesses Samalei and Ramchandi, Modi announced that two semiconductor units had been approved for Odisha. He also spoke of an ambitious ₹70,000-crore package for the shipbuilding sector expected to bring in investments worth ₹4.5 lakh crore, benefitting steel, machinery, electronics and cottage industries.
Unveiling BSNL’s indigenous 4G service, he recalled how India lagged when 2G, 3G and 4G were introduced. “We all know the kind of jokes that were circulating then — ‘2G, 3G aur fir pata nahi kya kya’. Such a situation was not acceptable. Today,
BSNL has developed swadeshi 4G technology,” he said, adding that India was now among the top five nations globally with indigenous 4G technology.
“Thanks to BSNL, India is moving towards becoming a global telecom hub. One lakh mobile towers have been set up across the country. Border districts and remote villages will benefit, as will our soldiers using safe indigenous services,” he added.
Linking self-reliance with skilling and research, Modi highlighted investments in education. “Engineering colleges and polytechnics are being modernised. A new scheme, MERITE (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education), will eliminate the compulsion for youth to migrate to big cities for quality education by providing modern labs, global training and startup opportunities in their own towns,” he said.
On GST, Modi pitched reforms as a “savings gift”. “A family in Odisha spending ₹1 lakh annually on essentials was paying ₹20,000–25,000 in taxes before 2014. With GST, the burden has fallen to just ₹5,000–6,000 annually,” he claimed.
Taking a potshot at the Congress, he alleged: “They looted the country and exploited the poor. We freed the nation from this culture in 2014. Today, income up to ₹12 lakh is tax-free.”
He further accused Opposition-ruled states of still “looting the people”. “After GST, cement prices fell in Himachal Pradesh. But the Congress government imposed new taxes on cement. While the nation benefits, people of Himachal are being deprived,” Modi charged.
