Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, declared defence power as the fifth ‘Shakti’ of his ‘Shakti Ki Saptadhara’ vision, urging India to lead in hypersonic and next-generation defence technologies while expanding its role as a global supplier of advanced military systems.

His remarks coincided with record-breaking defence production and exports, underscoring India’s transformation into a self-reliant defence hub.

India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations were marked by PM Modi’s historic 103-minute speech, the longest ever delivered by an Indian Prime Minister.

He invoked the ‘Shakti Ki Saptadhara’ vision, ("Seven Streams of Strength") a framework of seven strengths to propel India’s rise. Defence power was identified as the fifth pillar, alongside manufacturing, agriculture, technology, infrastructure, green and blue economy, and soft power.

The Prime Minister stressed that India could not remain merely a market for foreign suppliers. He insisted that India must become a global supplier of advanced defence technologies, particularly hypersonic systems.

He highlighted the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s progress in hypersonic glide and cruise missile technologies, as well as indigenous propulsion systems and long-range strike capabilities.

Modi noted that defence production had increased fourfold in the past 12 years. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking on the eve of Independence Day, confirmed that annual defence production had reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025–26, compared with ₹46,000 crore in 2014. Defence exports also surged to ₹38,424 crore, with India now supplying equipment to more than 80 countries. The government has set a target of ₹50,000 crore in exports by 2029.

Singh attributed this growth to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, which have strengthened India’s defence manufacturing base. He emphasised that the private sector contributed 24 per cent of total defence production in FY 2025–26, while Defence Public Sector Undertakings accounted for the remaining 76 per cent. This balance reflects the growing role of private industry in India’s defence ecosystem.

The Defence Minister also pointed to successful trials of advanced systems, including the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile, RudraM-II Air-to-Surface Missile, Naval Anti-Ship Missile-SR, and the Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket. On hypersonic technology, Singh highlighted the successful test of an active-cooled full-scale scramjet combustor for more than 1,200 seconds, placing India among a select group of nations capable of developing hypersonic missile systems.

Beyond defence, PM Modi outlined the other six strengths of his Saptadhara vision. Manufacturing power was identified as the first, with a call to build complete value chains from design to production. Agriculture and food production formed the second, while technology and innovation were the third, with emphasis on artificial intelligence, quantum technology, robotics, and Made-in-India 6G.

The fourth strength was Gati Shakti, focusing on high-speed rail, port-led development, and connectivity. The sixth was the Green and Blue Economy, encompassing renewable energy, hydrogen, fisheries, and ocean technology. The seventh was India’s soft power, including yoga and cultural influence.

The Prime Minister’s speech also commemorated 150 years of Vande Mataram and celebrated youth power under the theme of Yuva Shakti and Viksit Bharat @ 2047. He paid tribute to freedom fighters and underscored India’s responsibility to lead globally in innovation, defence, and sustainability.

India’s defence transformation, as outlined by Modi and Singh, reflects a decisive shift towards self-reliance, technological leadership, and global competitiveness. The emphasis on hypersonic systems and next-generation technologies signals India’s ambition to join the ranks of advanced military powers while contributing to global stability.

ANI