Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is confronting the challenges arising from the ongoing conflict in West Asia with full strength.
Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the Noida International Airport in Jewar, the Prime Minister asserted that the country is taking all necessary steps to safeguard its citizens.
"Conflict has been ongoing in West Asia for over a month. Due to the war, food, petrol, diesel, gas, coal, and other essential goods have been affected. There is a crisis all around, and every country is trying to face it. Our India is also fighting this crisis with all its might, relying on the strength of its citizens," Modi said.
Highlighting that India depends on crude oil and gas from conflict-affected regions, Modi said: "The government is taking necessary steps to ensure the burden does not fall on families and farmers."
Emphasising the impact of ethanol blending on cutting oil dependence, Modi said, "If ethanol production and its blending in petrol had not increased, the country would have had to import 4.5 crore barrels of crude oil from abroad every year."
"The hard work of our farmers has given the country significant relief during this crisis. The nation has benefited from ethanol, and the farmers have also benefited greatly. About Rs 1.5 lakh crore in foreign currency has been saved... without ethanol, this money would have gone abroad," he added.
Inaugurating the Noida International Airport, the prime minister said "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the journey towards a Viksit Uttar Pradesh and a Viksit Bharat."
Modi said the Noida International Airport would boost economic activity in the region. "Noida International Airport will create new opportunities for farmers, small traders and youngsters of Western Uttar Pradesh," he said.
"India's aviation sector is growing rapidly. As new airports are built across India, the demand for new aircraft is also increasing. Consequently, various airlines have placed orders for hundreds of new aircraft. These new facilities and planes will require a large workforce to fly, service, and maintain them. This presents a massive opportunity for our youth. To support this, our government is also expanding training facilities across the aviation sector," he added.
The prime minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and other dignitaries.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place for the visit.
The first phase of the airport, being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 11,200 crore, is envisioned as a multi-modal transport hub with seamless connectivity through road, rail, metro and regional transport systems.
According to an official statement, the project includes a cargo hub with an initial handling capacity of over 2.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, expandable to around 18 lakh metric tonnes.
The airport's initial passenger handling capacity will be 12 million passengers per annum, scalable up to 70 million.
The prime minister also inspected the terminal.