From ‘Operation Sindoor’ To Made-In-India Chips: Key Takeaways From PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech At Red Fort

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, outlined key policy priorities. These included a tougher stance on the Indus Waters Treaty, praise for the armed forces’ cross-border strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’, and a commitment to launch Made-in-India semiconductor chips by the end of the year. He also called for indigenous jet engine development and paid tribute to the makers of the Constitution and Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.

Here are key highlights from his speech:

1. Homage to Constitution Makers

PM Modi began by paying “respectful homage to the makers of the Constitution” and marking the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. He said Mookerjee was “the first great man of the country to sacrifice for the Constitution of India” and linked his tribute to the “one country, one constitution” move ending Article 370.

2. A Gathering Reflecting ‘Miniature India’

Calling the audience “a miniature India,” the PM pointed out the presence of panchayat members from remote villages, ‘Drone Didis’, ‘Lakhpati Didis’, sportspersons, and achievers “who have given something or the other to the nation and life.”

3. Solidarity with Disaster-Hit Areas

On recent landslides, cloudbursts, and calamities, PM Modi said, “Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength on rescue operations, relief efforts, and rehabilitation work.”

4. Unprecedented Military Action in ‘Operation Sindoor’

Saluting the forces, PM Modi said, “Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination… We entered hundreds of kilometres into enemy soil and razed their terrorist HQ to the ground.” The operation followed the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, which left the nation “outraged.”

5. Modi's Stand on Indus Waters Treaty

“The people of our country have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is,” PM Modi said. “The right over the water belongs only to the farmers of India… Bharat has decided that blood and water will not flow together," he added.

6. Reviving India’s Semiconductor Ambitions

“You would be surprised to know that the idea of semiconductor was killed in the womb 50–60 years ago,” PM Modi said, vowing that “by the end of this year, Made in India semiconductor chips… will hit the market.”

7. Push for Indigenous Jet Engines

Talking about innovation in defence manufacturing, PM Modi said, “We should have our jet engines for our own Made in India fighter jets,” calling it a priority for scientists, engineers, and government departments.

8. Aatmanirbhar Bharat as Core of Viksit Bharat

“If someone becomes too dependent on others, the very question of freedom starts to fade,” PM Modi warned, adding that self-reliance is “not limited merely to imports, exports, rupees, pounds, or dollars… its meaning is far broader.”

9. Remembering the Price of Freedom

“Gulami ne humey nirdhan bana diya, gulami ne humey nirbhar bhi bana diya,” PM Modi said, honouring the sacrifices of freedom fighters and praising farmers for “filling the nation’s grain stores” after Independence.

10. 140 Crore Resolutions for the Future

Calling Independence Day a “festival of 140 crore resolutions,” PM Modi described it as “a moment of collective achievements, filled with pride and joy” and urged citizens to strengthen the spirit of unity.