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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that increasing exports and reducing imports is the new way ahead for patriotism and ‘swadeshi’, and it will be a ‘new freedom’ for India when not a drop of petrol or diesel is imported. He also said stopping the import of petrol and diesel was linked to arresting terrorism in the world. 

The minister asserted 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 bio fuel. Reduction in imports and increase in exports is the way forward for patriotism and swadeshi’. He further said the size of the automobile industry in India was Rs 7 lakh crore when he took over (in 2014) and now it was Rs 12.5 lakh crore, adding the sector gives employment to 4.5 crore people. It is the industry that gives highest GST to state governments and the Centre.

Asserting that the country's automobile industry would be number one in the world in the next five years, Gadkari said ‘maximum imports are happening in the automobile industry. If we want to become vishwaguru (world leader) and $5 trillion economy, then we have to become number one in exports.’  He noted that three months ago, India jumped from seventh position to third in the automobile exports sector, surpassing powerhouses like Japan.