(Following are extracts from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech from Red Fort on August 15, 2026)
My dear fellow citizens,
Today, we are celebrating the 80th Independence Day. …. My best wishes to all of you on Independence Day. Today, the nation remembers with reverence those great sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifices for the freedom of our country.
….For everyone present at this ceremony today, this is also a historic moment. For the first time since independence, Vande Mataram is echoing from the Red Fort on August 15. And as we celebrate 150 years of Vande Mataram today, what could be a more wonderful occasion than this?
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…. Bharat has also set a very big dream today—… And that dream is this: when we complete 100 years of independence in 2047, we will have built a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
….….We need a sense of self-respect. And, at the same time, it is extremely important to become ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India). …. We must become self-reliant. …. we must strengthen our own capacities and protect our own interests ourselves. That is why we are moving forward with a firm resolve for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
…. Let me give you the example of semiconductors. ….The world has reached a point where the entire system could come to a standstill without chips. That is why, Bharat has begun establishing its own semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the direction of becoming self-reliant. Three major semiconductor plants have already been started. ….over the coming seven to eight years, another five, seven, or even eight semiconductor plants are expected to begin operations very soon. ….
….A similar discussion is taking place around critical minerals. The entire technology sector is dependent on critical minerals. Bharat is working to secure itself in this area as well. …. Agreements are being signed with several countries, and many countries around the world are now beginning to place their trust in Bharat in the field of critical minerals.
….It is now difficult to run the new world without energy, and therefore, whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we will need electricity in very large quantities. Energy security is the need of the hour, and therefore, we have already taken a series of strong steps in this direction.
….I said that, as far as energy security is concerned, it is equally important for us to put our full strength behind alternative sources. …. ….Before 2014, piped gas reached barely 20–22 lakh households. Today, work is underway to provide piped gas to nearly 1.75 crore households.
…. Over the past 10–12 years, we have faced numerous crises. A pandemic like COVID-19 had plunged the entire world into uncertainty, and all systems had been thrown into turmoil. We emerged from COVID, only to witness the horrors of war, with conflicts in Ukraine on one hand and West Asia on the other.
….But the country has now seen that the well-considered plans of the past 10–12 years are bearing fruit. Despite such a massive crisis, Bharat, guided by the principle of Nagrik Devo Bhava had made preparations and taken one step after another. We had not imagined that such a crisis would arise, but when it did, all these preparations proved useful. Today, the country has gas, petrol and urea. We are standing on the strength of our own capabilities, and moving forward with confidence.
….These global crises have affected everyone, and we too are not immune. …
…. India possesses a stable political mandate and a stable government, a vibrant democracy, a robust judicial system, and the Constitution of India that guides us all and now the world has started recognizing our strength. And so, after 2014, we have been entering into Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with nearly 40 countries.
….We must move forward with a clear sense of direction. … Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I invoke these seven streams (Sapta Dhara) of power before the country. In the coming 5-7 years, what could not be done in the last 5-7 decades, with the strength and power of Sapta Dhara, we will give the country new heights, new momentum and the ability to achieve new goals. Alongside this, the potential of the nation’s youth power will be fully harnessed for nation-building; their strength will be integrated into the effort.
In the coming days, when I talk about Sapta Dhara, the first power of Sapta Dhara is – manufacturing power.
…. We must significantly advance the manufacturing sector; alongside boosting production, we need to manufacture everything from small components to large-scale products. …. From design to manufacturing, India must emerge as a trusted hub in the global supply chain.
…..We have to move from the farm to the export market. Whether it is our traditional cuisine, our millets, our spices, our fruits or our flowers, we have so much to offer. These should become global brands. ….
….The third strength of my Sapt Dhara is technology and innovation. …Today is the age of AI, quantum technology, space, robotics and data centres. An entirely new domain has opened up. …. we must become a hub of innovation. …. Now Bharat must take its digital public technologies to every corner of the world. Bharat must lead in next-generation communication technologies. Our goal should be to ensure that Made-in-India 6G reaches every corner of the world.
….The fourth strength of Sapt Dhara is Gati Shakti. Under Gati Shakti, we must focus on seamless and fast connectivity across the country. We must connect our cities through high-speed rail. We need modern highways, inland waterways, airports and multimodal logistics systems.
…. The fifth strength of Sapt Dhara is ‘Raksha Shakti’ (defence power). And the importance of this ‘Raksha Shakti’ is immense in every respect.
… Bharat has now experienced this, and the world has experienced it as well: there is no alternative to being self-reliant in defence.
…. Cybersecurity is also becoming a concern for every household today. That, too, is an area of defence where we can harness the capabilities of our youth for the benefit of the country and the world.
…. The sixth strength of our Sapt Dhara is the green economy, blue economy, which also create green jobs. We must achieve green hydrogen, renewable energy, energy storage, green mobility and green manufacturing at a global scale.
….As Bharat moves forward with the vision of Sapt Dhara, the seventh stream is one that holds its own significance for the world and that is Bharat’s soft power. The strength of Bharat’s soft power is immense. Today, yoga has connected the entire world with Bharat. …. Bharat has centres of faith, Ayurveda and a holistic healthcare system. Along with these and the Heal in India movement, we can take our capabilities to the world. Whether it is handicrafts, culture, our films, our creative world, VFX, animation, gaming or digital content, Bharat can demonstrate its stature in the global creative economy. We must develop this into a global strength.
…. Today, sports are also becoming a major source of attraction towards Bharat. Why shouldn’t major global sporting events be held in Bharat?
…. The concert economy is growing rapidly and has tremendous appeal for the country’s youth. Artists from across the world want to perform a concert on Indian soil at some point.
…. I have spoken about some of these things, but I think even beyond them. I want to shake the nation. I want to awaken the strength of the nation. A nation does not consist of the government alone; a nation is made up of every citizen. Can we not aspire to something bigger?
…. Our brands should become an identity of our country and make Bharat a destination for the world. We must work in that direction.
…. We have to formulate policies and regulations according to the dreams and aspirations of the future.
….Under the Startup India initiative, there are now more than 2.5 lakh registered startups across the country. The young people of the country are not only working for themselves but are also providing employment to many others.
…. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to make an announcement for the young people of the country. We have decided that, in the next one year, we will train one crore young people in AI skills, so that the youth of our country have the capability to lead in the world of AI as well.
My friends,
The bioeconomy is a new sector. There was a time, before 2014, when the bioeconomy was worth only ₹60,000 crore. Young people of my country, look at what you have accomplished.
….The youth power of the country has demonstrated its potential in the bioeconomy. Before 2014, the sector had a turnover of ₹60,000 crore; today, the bioeconomy has reached ₹20 lakh crore, my friends. In 2009–10, only 1.5 lakh electric vehicles were sold. In 2025–26, 25 lakh electric vehicles have been sold.
My dear countrymen,
The aviation sector is also advancing very rapidly, creating tremendous opportunities for our young people. New airports, new routes and new employment opportunities are being created.
…. My fellow citizens, drones have also played a very significant role. The SVAMITVA Scheme is being successfully implemented in villages through drones. Around 3.25 crore families have benefited from the SVAMITVA Scheme, and as a result, assets worth around ₹140 lakh crore have been unlocked. This enables people to obtain loans from banks and start their own businesses.
My dear countrymen,
The pressure of coaching classes has become a major burden for our middle-class families. Keeping the concerns of these poor and middle-class families in mind, …. we have decided to provide free online coaching for young people preparing for various examinations. We have the digital public infrastructure, we have excellent talent and we have teachers
….Drug abuse is becoming a major crisis for the country and its young people. A ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ or Drugs-Free India must be a collective responsibility for all of us….
….We have succeeded in eliminating armed Naxals from the forests and liberating the country from that menace. However, while the armed Naxals are gone, the mental Naxals remain, and these mental Naxals are on the lookout for an opportunity. They are looking for ways of violence and anarchy. They are resorting to various tactics to drag society onto the wrong path. We must identify these mental Naxals, isolate them, and steer the nation’s youth toward the mainstream effort of transforming India into a developed nation.
….The contribution of our sisters and daughters to nation-building has become a source of great inspiration for us all. Whether in fighter jets or civil aviation, our daughters are at the forefront.
….Now, we are moving forward with the aim of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis. The creation of 3 crore new Lakhpati Didis signifies a massive transformation in the rural economy driven by the power of women.
…. I appeal to and urge all the political parties of the country. Come, let us become worshippers of the power of those women. Let us step forward to uphold their dignity and ensure that our mothers and sisters secure 33% representation in the Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha as soon as possible, so they may contribute to shaping India’s policies.
….We have to keep eradicating the mentality of slavery every moment. Drawing inspiration from the visions of the India dreamt of by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, and Jyotiba Phule, let us march ahead. Let us reiterate this resolve: the nation’s interest must come before our own, and duty must define our identity.