India should stop import of petroleum products to emerge as Vishwarguru

India has to reach a situation when it does not import a drop of petrol or diesel Union Transport minister Nitin Gadkari said while addressing RSS meeting..Inreasing exports and decreasing imports is the new way ahead for Patriotism and Swadesh the minister said while addressing the SagarManthan 2.0organized by the RSS weekly magaxzinePanchjanya

 Increasing exports and reducing imports is the new way ahead for patriotism and "swadeshi", and it will be a "new freedom" for India when not a drop of petrol or diesel is imported, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday.

Stopping the import of petrol and diesel was linked to arresting terrorism in the world. "Till this import is not stopped, terrorism will not stop across the world. The aim of my life is to stop import of petrol and diesel. I consider it to be a new freedom for India when not a drop of petrol and diesel is imported into the country," he said.

The Minister’s statement assumes significance as the Houthi rebels target ships crossing the Red Sea channel. Industry sources also point out there has been no major discovery of oil in India during the last ten years and that the dependence of Imports to meet the domestic requirement has touched 85 per cent.

The import bill for petrol and diesel stands at Rs 16 lakh crore now. If we reduce this import, the money we save will go to the poor. That is why we have introduced alternative fuels like bio fuel. Reduction in imports and increase in exports is the way forward for patriotism and swadeshi," he asserted.

Gadkari said the size of the automobile industry in India was Rs 7 lakh crore when he took over (in 2014) and now it was Rs 12.5 lakh crore, adding the sector gives employment to 4.5 crore people. It is the industry that gives highest GST to state governments and the Centre, he added.

Asserting that the country's automobile industry would be number one in the world in the next five years, Gadkari said, "Maximum imports are happening in the automobile industry. If we want to become vishwaguru (world leader) and USD five trillion economy, then we have to become number one in exports."