As the tricolour unfurled across the nation this August 15, India marked its 79th Independence Day with a renewed sense of pride and purpose.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoisting the Indian flag for the 12th straight time, delivered his longest ever Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort, extending to a duration of 103 minutes. This was the longest speech delivered by any Prime Minister in India’s history.
Hailing the motherland as “dearer to us than life itself,” Prime Minister Modi began his address by paying tribute to the makers of the Constitution. He recalled the contributions of leaders such as Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, as well as pioneering women like Hansa Mehta and Dakshayani Velayudhan. “I bow with respect to these makers of the Constitution, who guided and gave direction to the country,” he said.
He also paid tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 125th birth anniversary and briefly addressed the series of natural disasters that have afflicted the country in recent months.
During his speech, he hailed the efforts of the armed forces during Operation Sindoor, and also gave a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that India will not give in to nuclear blackmail. Further, PM Modi launched a new scheme called Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgaar Yojana to promote employment, and spoke about Mission Sudarshan Chakra to boost India’s defence security.
Focus on the interest of the nation
While speaking about Operation Sindoor, PM Modi hailed the efforts of the armed forces during India’s military operation, and asserted that our country will not tolerate nuclear blackmail anymore.
Condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Prime Minister described OperationSindoor as a powerful expression of India’s outrage. He said, “After the events of the 22nd, we gave our army complete freedom—let them decide the strategy, choose the targets, and select the timing. And our army accomplished something that had not happened in decades…The devastation in Pakistan has been so huge that every day brings new revelations and fresh information.”
This is India establishing a new normal: those who nurture and harbour terrorism, and those who empower terrorists, will no longer be seen as separate. I his speech, he also warned Pakistan about the repeated nuclear threats. “The nuclear blackmail that has gone on for so long will no longer be endured. If our enemies continue this attempt in the future, our army will decide on its own terms, at the time of its choosing, in the manner it deems fit…We will give a fitting and crushing response”, he said.
Also addressing Pakistan’s constant demand for Indus water, the Prime Minister clearly said that blood and water will not flow together. He further added, “The waters of rivers originating from Bharat are irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the soil of our own nation remain thirsty. This was an agreement that has caused unimaginable loss to our farmers for the past seven decades.
“Now, the water that rightfully belongs to Bharat will be reserved solely for Bharat, solely for the farmers of Bharat. The form of the Indus Agreement that Bharat has endured for decades will not be tolerated any longer. This agreement is unacceptable to us in the interest of our farmers, and in the interest of the nation.”
Prime Minister Modi also announced the launch of the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, a major defence initiative designed to safeguard India’s strategic, civilian, and religious sites from external threats.
“India is set to launch Mission Sudarshan Chakra to develop a powerful weapons system that will thwart any attempt by enemies to attack us,” he said. The Prime Minister added that the government aims to integrate cutting-edge technological tools to ensure that all public places are brought under a nationwide security shield by 2035.
Moving towards a self-reliant India
Amid the shadow of US-imposed tariffs that could weigh on the economy, Prime Minister Modi placed strong emphasis on self-reliance across all critical sectors.
From defence and space to critical minerals, energy, semiconductors, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, operating systems, cyber security, deep tech and artificial intelligence, he underscored that “the bedrock of a Viksit Bharat is also a self-reliant Bharat” and cautioned that “the greater a nation’s reliance on others, the more its freedom comes into question.”
In this context, Modi announced that made-in-India semiconductor chips will enter the market by the end of this year, a milestone in India’s technological journey. He said the semiconductor programme is being advanced in “mission mode,” with six units already under development, alongside a series of initiatives being rolled out in other strategic sectors to strengthen self-reliance.
Turning to India’s youth, the Prime Minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), a ₹1 lakh-crore scheme to incentivise job creation. Under it, young people securing jobs in private companies will receive ₹15,000 in support, while registered employers across sectors, particularly manufacturing, will benefit from financial incentives to generate new employment opportunities.
Modi also pledged next-generation reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework by Diwali. These reforms, he said, would bring “substantial relief” to the common man and ease the burden on small and medium enterprises by cutting taxes on essential, daily-use items. With GST now in its eighth year, he signalled that rationalisation was overdue and directly tied to reducing the tax load on households.
Looking ahead, the Prime Minister set out ambitious long-term goals — including increasing India’s nuclear energy capacity tenfold by 2047, launching a high-powered demography mission, and establishing a dedicated Reform Task Force. The Task Force, he said, will drive the next generation of reforms aimed at accelerating economic growth, cutting red tape, modernising governance, and preparing Bharat for the demands of a $10 trillion economy by 2047.
Celebrating India’s independence
Independence Day is more than a commemoration of the past, it is a reminder of the dreams carried by those who gave their all for freedom, and of the responsibility carried by each generation since. It is also a celebration of how far India has come and a reflection on the challenges that still lie ahead.
Asian Voice, in this feature celebrates India’s journey since 1947; recognising its sacrifices, celebrating its achievements, and exploring the path ahead as a global leader. In conversation with experts, we discussed the country’s geopolitical stance, with Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow for South and Central Asian Defence, Strategy and Diplomacy pointing out India’s potential to become the third largest economy in the world within the next two-three years, as well as the country’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy when none of its neighbours have such a policy.
Similarly, we see how the country has evolved in terms of economy, soft power dynamics, and education. A major focus is also on Indian women, how their experiences have evolved and diaspora identities.
Dr Nikita Ved MBE, co-founder of the 1928 Institute, a think tank that researches and represents the British Indian community, spoke to us about her journey in medical science, her work with the 1928 Institute, and what Indian Independence Day means to her.
The greatest highlight, however, is the global celebration of India. The High Commission of India in London also marked the occasion with patriotic fervour. High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, and members of the Indian diaspora joined the celebrations.
The event featured Indian classical music performances, the singing of the national anthem, and a ceremonial flag hoisting, reflecting the spirit of unity and remembrance.
“I can see a bright future ahead”
President Droupadi Murmu address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day
On the eve of India’s 79th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu delivered a wide-ranging address celebrating the nation’s resilience, strategic clarity, and rising global standing.
Her speech highlighted advances in national security, infrastructure, education, sports, and space exploration; framing them as signs of a confident and self-reliant India poised for transformative change.
Condemning the “cowardly and utterly inhuman” terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, she praised the armed forces for their swift and decisive Operation Sindoor, which dismantled terrorist infrastructure across the border. Calling it a “landmark event in the global fight against terrorism,” she said the mission showcased India’s “strategic clarity and technical capability,” powered by the Atmanirbhar Bharat drive for defence self-reliance.
Turning to development, President Murmu hailed the newly inaugurated rail link to the Kashmir Valley as both an engineering feat and a catalyst for trade, tourism, and wider economic opportunity. She credited Indian Railways for innovation in advanced trains and coaches.
In sports, she celebrated India’s growing dominance in chess, citing 18-year-old D Gukesh’s world championship triumph and the historic all-India Women’s World Cup final between Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy. She predicted “transformative changes” from the forthcoming National Sports Policy 2025 and called sports a measure of empowerment, especially for women.
“Our daughters are our pride,” she said, noting women’s achievements across defence, security, and public life. She praised the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for “aligning learning with values and skills with tradition,” fostering innovation and enterprise. With more opportunities for young entrepreneurs than ever before, she said India was creating the most supportive ecosystem in its history.
Finally, she lauded astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station as a milestone that had “fired a whole generation to dream bigger” while bolstering the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
