India’s G20 presidency has made the world aware of the potential of India’s common citizen, Prime Minister Modi says
India has gained a new strategic strength in recent years, Prime Minister Nagendra Modi asserted during his address to the nation from the ramparts of Delhi's historic Red Fort on August 15, 2023. He also reiterated the government’s unwavering resolve to ensure national security.

Here are highlights from Prime Minister Modi's address on India's 77th Independence Day:

1. “India has gained a new strategic strength in recent years and today our borders are more secure than ever,” said Prime Minister Modi. He reiterated the Government’s unwavering resolve to ensure national security amid the current global security scenario, asserting that a number of military reforms are being undertaken to modernise the Armed Forces and make them young & battle ready to deal with all future challenges.

2. The people of the country feel safe today as there has been a drastic decline in the number of terrorist attacks, he pointed out. When the country is peaceful and secure, new goals of development are achieved, he added.

3. India has improved its world ranking from the 10th largest economy in 2014 to the 5th largest in 2023, the Prime Minister said. According to him, this rise happened due to fighting corruption, the stopping of leakages in transfer of government benefits and creation of a strong economy and spending of public money for the welfare of the poor.

4. "India’s G20 presidency has made the world aware of the potential of India’s common citizen. Today, India has got the opportunity to host the G-20 Summit in the country. And for the last one year, the way many such G-20 events have been organized in every corner of India, it has made the world aware of the potential of the common man of the country," he said.

5. Underlining the importance of women-led development, Prime Minister Modi said that this was essential to take the country forward. India can proudly say today that it has the maximum number of women pilots in the civil aviation sector, he said, adding that women scientists were also leading the Chandrayaan Mission.

6. “The world is watching India's diversity with wonder and because of that the attraction towards India has increased. The desire to know and understand India has risen," Prime Minister Modi remarked.

7. “If dreams are to be fulfilled, resolutions are to be achieved, then it is the need of the hour to fight the three evils of corruption, nepotism and appeasement," he stated. The Prime Minister also talked about using technology to combat corruption and mentioned that 10 crore fake beneficiaries were removed from various schemes. At the same time, 20 times worth of property of financial absconders had been confiscated.

8. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the remarkable transformation in India's digital landscape and underscored the rapid strides made in bringing internet connectivity to the remotest corners of the country. Internet was reaching to every village, ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution reach every citizen, he added.

9. India stands with the people of Manipur, PM Modi stated, and expressed confidence that there would be a peaceful resolution of the problems there. Acknowledging that there has been a period of unrest and violence in Manipur and news of attacks on the dignity of women, he noted that people of Manipur are maintaining peace for sometime and asked that the process of peace be carried forward. “The state and the central government are working together to solve those problems and will continue to do so”, he said.

10. The government has plans to increase the number of 'Jan Aushadhi Kendras' from 10,000 to 25,000, Prime Minister Modi said, adding that these centres had given a new power to the people, especially the middle class.