In his 12th consecutive Independence Day address at the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled new economic and security initiatives. This includes GST reforms, a Rs 1 lakh crore scheme for first-time job seekers, semiconductor production in the country and Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which aims to ensure security of strategic and public sites. Here are the key announcements of PM Modi’s 79th Independence Day speech:
1. GST reforms To Be Implemented By October 2025: The government will change the structure of the Goods and Services Tax, reduce taxes on essential items and simplify slabs for domestic households and small businesses.
2. Rs 1 Lakh Crore Provision Under Yuva Rojgar Yojana: Under the Pradhan Mantri Vikasit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, beneficiaries who take up jobs in the private sector for the first time will be given a one-time incentive of Rs 15,000. The scheme will benefit about 3.5 crore youth.
3. Indigenous Semiconductor Chips To Hit The Market By 2025: Domestically manufactured chips will be available by the end of the year, boosting India’s electronics production and reducing dependence on imports.
4. Announcement Of Mission Sudarshan Chakra: This decade-long plan will ensure security of strategic, civilian and religious sites through indigenous technology, and is targeted to be completed by 2035.
5. Review Of Indus Water Treaty: The government will review the treaty to ensure India’s water rights are protected and assess its impact on agriculture.
6. Clean Energy Target Achieved Ahead Of Schedule: India has completed 50% of its power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources ahead of the 2030 deadline.
7. Appreciation Of Recent Operations Of Armed Forces: PM Modi acknowledged the success of Operation Sindoor in Jammu and Kashmir and praised the role of the armed forces in national security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a 103-minute speech from the Red Fort on 15 August 2025, the longest ever Independence Day speech by an Indian Prime Minister. This is longer than the record of 98 minutes given on the 78th Independence Day last year.
His longest ever speech was 96 minutes in 2016, while the shortest was 56 minutes in 2017. On India’s 79th Independence Day, Modi broke Indira Gandhi’s record by delivering his 12th consecutive Red Fort speech and became the Prime Minister with the most consecutive Independence Day speeches after Jawaharlal Nehru, who had delivered 17 speeches.
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