New Freedom When Petrol, Diesel Imports Stop in India, says Gadkari

Published On: 26 December 2023
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In the upcoming five years, India’s automobile industry will reach the top position in the world, said the union minister.

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said on Sunday that India will witness a new freedom when not a single drop of diesel or petrol is imported into the nation. PTI reported that the Union Minister also said that putting a full stop on the import of diesel or petrol is also related to arresting terrorism across the world, and it is a new way ahead for patriotism and "new freedom."

The import bill for diesel and petrol currently stands at INR 16 lakh crore, said the minister. Gadkari claimed that if the country finds a way to reduce the import of fossil fuels into India, the saved money will go to the people in need.

Nitin Gadkari has advocated the same issue earlier as well. He earlier stated that reducing the import of fossil fuels from foreign countries will lead to the development of cleaner and greener fuel solutions in the country.

The Union Minister (Road Transport and Highways), Nitin Gadkari, said that "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 biofuel. Reduction in imports and increase in exports is the way forward for patriotism and swadeshi."

He further added, “Till this import is not stopped, terrorism will not stop across the world. The aim of my life is to stop the import of petrol and diesel. I consider it to be a new freedom for India when not a drop of petrol or diesel is imported into the country."

Gadkari also spoke about the Indian automobile industry and stated that the size of India’s automobile industry currently stands at INR 12.5 crore in comparison to INR 7 lakh in 2014. The automobile sector provides employment to around 4.5 crore people. This sector alone gives the highest GST to the central and state governments.

In the upcoming five years, India’s automobile industry will reach the top position in the world, said the minister. "Maximum imports are happening in the automobile industry. If we want to become Vishwaguru (world leader) and the USD five trillion economy, then we have to become number one in exports."

Earlier, India stood at the seventh position in the automobile export sector, but just three months prior, the country bagged the third position in the sector and surpassed powerhouses like Japan.