Nitin Gadkari said alternative fuel economy could be created through rural participation
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday made a pitch for "swadeshi" (indigenous) production and said imports need to end, while exports should increase.
He also suggested setting up of an "import substitute and export-oriented department" with separate funds earmarked for it.
The senior BJP leader said the department should work on the principles of "swadeshi" and "swavalamban" (selfreliance) and guide the economy.
He was speaking at a virtual programme organised by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, in which firms that did not retrench workers during the coronavirus-induced lockdown were felicitated.
"I feel imports need to end and exports should be increased through the promotion of import-substitute goods," he said.
Mr Gadkari said an alternative fuel economy worth Rs 5 lakh crore could be created through rural participation.
He went on to inform the gathering that turnover of village industries had increased from Rs 80,000 crore last year to Rs 1 lakh crore and the target was to take it further to Rs 5 lakh crore soon.
The country was getting self-reliant in defence, automobiles and several other sectors and would become the world's largest e-vehicle manufacturing hub in the next five years with products ranging from two-wheelers, three-wheelers and cars to construction equipment.
RSS functionary Manmohan Vaidya also spoke at the event and laid stress on "aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) and swadeshi.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)