Nitin Gadkari's 2 Philosophies That Can Help India Become 'Atmanirbhar'

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has shared two philosophies that he believes would help the country achieve its dream of becoming 'atmanirbhar Bharat'. 'Knowledge to wealth' and 'no material is waste' are the two paths that can revolutionise wealth creation in the country, the minister said at NDTV's Banega Swasth India, the country's longest running public health campaign.

"Innovation, entrepreneurship, science, technology, research skills, and successful practices are what we refer to as knowledge. This knowledge is power. The conversion of this knowledge into wealth will determine the future of the country," said Mr Gadkari.

Stressing that the 'no material is waste' philosophy can help wealth creation from waste, he said that "creating value from waste will help end pollution and save the environment. It will also create jobs and reduce imports. The customers will benefit in a win-win situation as fuel will get cheaper."

Sustainable development requires an approach that makes the country pollution-free, substitutes import, and is cost-effective and indigenous, according to him. "If we follow this, India will become atmanirbhar," the minister added.

The BSI Season 12 was launched by actor Ayushmann Khurrana on October 2.

Speaking at the event, Mr Gadkari agreed that renewable energy such as biofuels and solar power could be part of the sanitation projects, keeping in mind the four aspects: proven technology, economic viability, availability of raw material, and the availability of markets for finished products.

"India imports fossil fuel worth Rs 22 lakh crore. This is a big economic challenge for the country. If the money remains in India, it will create crores of jobs and lead to wealth creation and development of the country," he said.

Sharing the country's achievements in electric mobility, the minister said that with the introduction of electric vehicles, India's automobile industry has risen from the seventh position to the third in the world, having surpassed Japan.