New Delhi: ‘Atmanirbharta’ and a call for ‘swadeshi’ were the mainstay of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s longest Independence Day address Friday, at a time when India is facing geopolitical headwinds over trade talks with the US that threaten to significantly impact India’s economy.
Though Modi has spoken about the need for India to be self-reliant on numerous occasions in the past, this was probably the first time in his 11-year term as PM that he spoke with such urgency about its importance across sectors. From defence to tech, space to semi-conductors and start-ups, energy to minerals, economy to agriculture, pharma to fertilisers, the PM touched every sector, rallying the country to be ‘atmanirbhar’ and move ahead with “even greater strength”.
“Atmanirbharta is the need of the time. Self-reliance is the cornerstone of building a Vikshit Bharat,” Modi said. “Together, 140 crore Indians will make an eco-system that will realise our dream of an Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Modi added.
Starting with Operation Sindoor, Modi said it has shown why being self-reliant in the world of defence and security matters. The PM said it was India’s indigenous capabilities, including made-in-India weapons that led to India acting “decisively and independently, proving that national security cannot rely on foreign help”.
He urged Indian innovators and youth to develop jet engines within India, ensuring future defence technology is entirely home-grown and self-reliant.
Announcing the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, an indigenous air-defence system to secure India’s vital miitary and civilian installations, the PM also sought to invoke nationalism by linking it to Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra in Mahabharat, highlighting how India draws inspiration from its rich cultural and mythological heritage to guide modern defence innovations.
Not just defence, the PM also stressed the importance of being self-reliant in the fields of energy, tech, pharma and fertilisers.
“Through our Nuclear Energy Mission, we aim to increase nuclear energy capacities and involve private players,” he said, adding that work is underway on 10 new nuclear reactors as part of India’s mission to increase nuclear power generation capacity over ten times in the next two decades.
Modi also spoke about how India will start made in India semiconductor chips by the end of 2025 and announced the country’s ambitious plans for India’s very own space station, signalling a new era of indigenous space capabilities.
“Over 300 startups are actively innovating in satellites, exploration, and cutting-edge space technologies, ensuring that India is not just participating but leading globally in space science and exploration,” Modi said.
He added, “We are working on becoming self-reliant, atmanirbhar, even in the space sector. We are preparing for the Gaganyaan Mission. We are also preparing to set up our own space station.”
The PM also exhorted farmers and industries to become ‘atmanirbhar’ in fertiliser production through judicious use of crop nutrients. He expressed concern over how India relies on imports to meet its fertiliser needs. He urged farmers to use fertilisers judiciously, which will decrease our import dependence.
He also highlighted India’s dominant position in the pharma sector and stressed the need for research to come up with the most effective, new indigenous medicines.
“We are known as the pharmacy of the world, but is it not the need of the hour to invest more in research and development, so that we have our own patents?” he asked.
Highlighting how India has set an example of its tech capabilities through setting up the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that has revolutionised digital transactions, the PM stressed the need to develop India’s own indigenous technology solutions across sectors.
“Be it the creative world or social media, I urge all young people of the country to come forward to develop our own platform. Why should we be dependent on others? Why should India’s wealth go overseas?” the PM asked.
‘Go swadeshi’
From the ramparts of Red Fort, Modi gave a clarion call to citizens and shopkeepers to champion India-made goods under the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, stressing that ‘swadeshi’ should stem from pride and strength, not compulsion.
He called for visible promotion, such as ‘swadeshi’ boards outside shops, to boost self-reliance, support entrepreneurship, and strengthen India’s economic and industrial base. “We will embrace Swadeshi with confidence, not out of necessity, and use it to set an example for others when needed,” he said.
Exhorting citizens that this was the time to script history, the PM said, “We have to rule the world market. We have to lower production costs. It is time to prove our mettle in global markets with quality products.”
‘Daam kum, dum zyada (lower price, higher quality) should be the mantra (goal). Economic selfishness is on the rise. Don’t worry about the other county. It is time to move ahead and meet our goals,” he added.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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