All Indians should learn to be self reliant says PM Modi at ICC’s 95th annual plenary session

New Delhi, June 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the country needs to be self-reliant and change coronavirus pandemic into a turning point, on the occasion of the 95th annual plenary session of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) via video conferencing.

"Every citizen of this country has resolved to turn this crisis into an opportunity. We have to make this a major turning point for this nation".

The PM said as India is fighting against COVID-19 pandemic, there are other challenges also like floods, locusts, hailstorm, fire in oil well in Assam, small earthquakes, two cyclones that we are fighting against together.

While batting for Atma Nirbhar Bharat, the Prime Minister said Indians should learn to be self-reliant.

"Everything that the country is forced to import, how it should be made in India itself, how India should become an exporter of the same products in future, we have to work faster in this direction", said the PM.

PM Modi said Aatamnirbhar lessons start at home and time has come for India to become self-reliant.

While talking about agriculture and farmers of the country PM Modi said that Indian farmers have got their true freedom owing to the recent reforms. They can go to any part of the country to sell their produce. Recent decisions taken by the Centre for farmers have freed the agriculture economy from years of slavery.

PM's address to India Inc came at a crucial time when the nation faces multiple challenges due to the pandemic including contracting the economy.

Earlier on June 2, in the inaugural address on the occasion the 125th anniversary of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the PM said that he has confidence in India's crisis management capability and in the talent of the country's farmers, entrepreneurs and MSMEs.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce, or ICC, is the premier body of business and industry in Eastern and North-Eastern India.

The membership of the Chamber comprises largest corporate groups in India, with business operations across the country and abroad.