Modi calls for faster reforms, higher ambitions to build Viksit Bharat by 2047

By Aroonim Bhuyan

New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15, called for a sweeping change in India’s work culture, thinking and ambition to accelerate the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. He said the task would require coordinated efforts by governments, industry, farmers, youth and citizens.

Emphasising the need for faster reforms, Modi said reforms should not be viewed as a compulsion or a political slogan but as a matter of conviction. He called on the Centre, states, industry, producers and farmers to overhaul traditional systems, policies and approaches in line with India’s aspirations for 2047.

Seven pillars for a developed India

The Prime Minister outlined what he described as “Sapt Dhara”, or seven streams of strength, which he said could provide fresh momentum to India over the next five to seven years.

Manufacturing, he said, must become a major engine of growth, with India developing complete value chains ranging from components and design to finished products. He called for greater competitiveness, scale and reliability and urged manufacturers to make quality a defining feature of Indian products.\

On agriculture, Modi stressed the need to connect Indian farms with global markets and turn traditional foods, millets, spices, fruits and flowers into internationally recognised brands. He also highlighted chemical-free farming and compliance with global standards.

Technology and innovation, he said, would be critical to India’s future. Citing areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space, robotics and data centres, the Prime Minister said India should move beyond being a global market and emerge as an innovation hub. He also set the goal of taking Made-in-India 6G technology to every part of the country.

Under Gati Shakti, Modi called for faster and seamless connectivity through high-speed rail, modern highways, inland waterways, airports and multimodal logistics networks. He said ports should evolve into centres of port-led development rather than remaining focused primarily on handling cargo.

In defence, the Prime Minister called for greater self-reliance and urged India to develop next-generation technologies that could eventually make the country a global defence supplier. He highlighted drones, counter-drone systems, hypersonic technologies and cyber security as key areas of opportunity.

He also called for India to achieve global scale in the green and blue economies, including green hydrogen, renewable energy, energy storage, green mobility and green manufacturing. India’s coastline, he said, offered significant opportunities in fisheries, coastal tourism and ocean technology.

The seventh stream was India’s soft power. Modi called for taking yoga, ayurveda, holistic healthcare and the country’s ‘Heal in India’ initiative to international audiences. He also identified handicrafts, culture, cinema, visual effects, animation, gaming and digital content as sectors with global potential.

Modi urges India to think bigger

The Prime Minister called for a substantial increase in the scale of India’s ambitions. He questioned why India should not aim to have 50 companies among the Fortune 500 within the next decade and said an Indian bank should aspire to rank among the world’s five largest.

He also envisioned Indian pharmaceutical, technology, legal, consulting, accounting and rating firms becoming global leaders, while Indian brands could become internationally recognised symbols of the country.

Calling for Indian quality to become a global identity, Modi urged manufacturers, entrepreneurs and MSMEs to compete internationally on cost, quality and scale. He said trade agreements offered new opportunities for small and medium enterprises to expand their presence in global markets.

Focus on social priorities and citizen participation

Modi said the coming years would be crucial for India and stressed that the country could not afford to slow its pace of development. Work that had remained unfinished for decades, he said, would have to be completed within the next five to seven years by changing the country’s work culture and pace of execution.

The Prime Minister also called for a collective campaign against drug abuse, urging every family to participate in the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ initiative. He referred to the 100-week campaign involving volunteers, NGOs, social and cultural organisations and spiritual leaders.

He appealed to political parties to work together to implement women’s reservation under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for 33 percent representation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Modi also urged young people to take an active role in the ongoing census by helping their families understand the forms and ensure that information is recorded accurately. He said reliable data was essential for effective policymaking, welfare schemes and future planning.

Reiterating the principles of the Panch Pran, the Prime Minister called on citizens to put national interest above personal interest and make duty a defining part of their identity.

Concluding his address, Modi called for a collective national effort to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat. He said the opportunity and resolve belonged to India and urged citizens to transform dreams into resolve, resolve into strength and strength into success, with every step contributing to the country’s development.