In “decade of disasters”, PM in Surat pitches need for energy self-reliance & fast green transition

Gandhinagar: Citing a “decade of disasters” marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing West Asia-driven energy shock, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the disruptions underline the need for energy self-reliance and a faster shift to green energy.At an event in Surat, where he laid foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth over Rs 18,000 crore, Modi said global supply-chain volatility has made energy security central to India’s development agenda. He highlighted steps such as expansion of solar power, ethanol blending, nuclear energy, and upgrades to the power transmission network as part of building domestic resilience.“This decade has been a decade of disasters. First it was Covid-19, then there was war (Russia-Ukraine) and now energy crisis which has caused a global upheavel where gas supply chains have got disrupted. At such a time, I am satisfied with the way in which 140 crore Indians have responded, and the country is strongly facing the situation. We want to overcome this challenge as well,” he told the huge gathering at the Surat Indoor Stadium.Modi said the renewable energy capacity of India stands at 250 GW and claimed Gujarat accounts for about 50 GW. “We never thought beyond but India’s 250 GW. India is among the top 5 countries in the world for solar power generation and the govt has boosted ethanol blending capacities, nuclear power production and has modernised energy transmission network. Our capabilities in future will further increase,” said PM.Gujarat has a big role to play in energy self-reliance, the PM said. He expressed confidence that state will play a a big role in green ammonia and green hydrogen production.Alongside the energy pitch, the Prime Minister targeted the Congress, accusing it of “spreading chaos, uncertainty and despair” and of mocking the resolve of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. He claimed people in states ruled by the Congress were dissatisfied and referred to political developments including leadership change in Karnataka.“For the past 12 years, Congress has been spreading chaos, uncertainty and despair and the people have been consistently giving it a befitting reply. The message from the people is clear – Congress’ politics of pessimism and chaos has been rejected by the people,” Modi said.He added that recently, he had been on a 5-nation tour and the West Bengal assembly election result was being discussed there as well. “The BJP has been winning local body elections in Congress ruled states. In Gujarat, you have pushed the Congress to the political periphery. People of Congress-ruled states also do not approve of the Congress’ policies. The party has had to change its CM in Karnataka,” Modi said, referring to the change of leadership in the Congress-ruled state.During the visit, Modi also toured Larsen and Toubro’s manufacturing facility, where officials briefed him on defence equipment, including ‘Zorawar’ light tanks being developed by DRDO and L7T Defence. He cited Hazira near Surat as an example of an ecosystem combining energy, steel, defence production and global trade, aligning it with the broader self-reliance narrative.The ₹18,000 crore package unveiled in Surat included NHAI projects worth over ₹12,000 crore, energy and petrochemicals projects worth ₹4,950 crore, ₹1,063 crore projects of GIDC, and works linked to health, urban development and panchayat departments.Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, speaking at the event, urged Modi not to reduce his security cover as part of austerity measures, saying it was “paramount” for the state.