Prime Minister Narendra Modi, delivering his 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, presented a comprehensive roadmap to make India self-reliant by 2047.
In his longest Independence Day speech to date, he announced a series of schemes aimed at empowering youth, boosting businesses, and advancing technological and energy independence.
Highlighting tax reforms, PM Modi promised a major Diwali gift in the form of the “next-generation GST reform.” He said, “In last 8 years, we did a big reform in GST, tax was simplified, now it is the demand of the time to make a review, we did, also talked to states, we are bringing ‘next generation GST reform’, it will be a gift on Diwali, tax on common, individual requirement services would be reduced significantly… MSMEs would benefit, and it will also help the economy.”
Boost to Jobs, Technology, and Energy Independence
Unveiling the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, the Prime Minister announced Rs 15,000 aid for youth entering the private sector job market for the first time. The Rs 1 lakh crore scheme, effective immediately, is expected to benefit more than 3.5 crore people.
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He also revealed that India’s first Made-in-India semiconductor chip will be available by the end of this year, underscoring the importance of technological advancement.
Addressing the nation on Independence Day. https://t.co/rsFUG7q6eP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025
“No one can deny that the 21st century is technology-driven. Countries that have achieved excellence in technology have crossed new milestones of development,” PM Modi said.
On the energy front, PM Modi declared that India is opening its nuclear sector to private companies, aiming to expand nuclear power capacity by 12 times by 2047. “Reform is a continuous process… We have brought huge reforms to the field of nuclear energy. We have opened the doors for the private sector in nuclear energy. We want to combine our strengths,” he stated.
High-Power Demography Mission to Address Illegal Immigration
PM Modi also announced the launch of the High-Power Demography Mission, warning against what he described as a conspiracy to alter the country’s demographic balance.
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“Infiltrators are snatching away the livelihood of the youth of my country. Infiltrators are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country. This will not be tolerated. These infiltrators mislead innocent tribals and capture their land. The country will not tolerate this,” he said.
