In his longest Red Fort address yet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday turned India’s 79th Independence Day into a bold blueprint for the nation’s future, announcing a slew of ambitious initiatives ranging from homegrown semiconductor chips to a Rs 1 lakh crore employment scheme.

1. India’s First Semiconductor Chip by 2025

Modi announced India will produce its first ‘Made-in-India’ semiconductor chip by end of 2025. He said attempts to set up chip factories 50-60 years ago were “killed at birth” but India is now on “mission mode.”

2. GST Reforms Coming on Diwali

Next-generation GST reforms will be announced on Diwali 2025. These will reduce taxes on essential goods and provide relief to MSMEs, local vendors, and consumers.

3. Nuclear Power Capacity to Increase 10x

Work is underway on 10 new nuclear reactors. India aims to increase nuclear power generation capacity by over 10 times by 2047 as part of energy independence goals.

4. Rs 1 Lakh Crore Employment Scheme

The PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana will provide Rs 15,000 monthly to newly employed youth. The scheme targets 3 crore young Indians.

5. Reform Task Force for $10 Trillion Economy

A dedicated task force will drive reforms to accelerate growth, cut red tape, and prepare India for a $10 trillion economy by 2047.

6. Challenge to Build Jet Engines

Modi asked scientists and youth to develop indigenous jet engines, comparing it to India’s success with COVID vaccines and UPI payments.

7. Demography Mission for Border Security

A High-Powered Demography Mission will address demographic imbalances caused by infiltration and illegal migration in border areas.

8. Ocean Resource Exploration

The National Deepwater Exploration Mission will tap ocean resources while expanding solar, hydrogen, hydro and nuclear power to reduce dependence on fuel imports.