India on Track for Developed Nation Status by 2047

On the eve of India's Independence Day, the President delivered a wide-ranging national address, calling on citizens to unite in building a "Viksit Bharat"—a developed India—by the country's centenary in 2047. She said true freedom means giving every citizen the opportunity to fulfil their aspirations.

The President paid tribute to the sacrifices of the freedom struggle, invoking Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and marked August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, honouring those who lost their lives or were displaced. She also praised Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for integrating more than 550 princely states into independent India after 1947.

Extending gratitude to farmers, scientists, healthcare workers, soldiers, civil servants and the Indian diaspora, she said every citizen fulfilling their constitutional duties was a partner in nation-building.

Development gains highlighted

The President pointed to a decade of progress, citing more than 25 crore people lifted out of poverty, nearly 59 crore bank accounts opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana, and free healthcare coverage extended to 60 crore people under Ayushman Bharat. She said food security had been ensured for over 80 crore citizens through free rations, while India's economy continued to grow despite global instability, aided by the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) initiative.

She also highlighted India's digital infrastructure, noting the country now accounts for more than half of the world's real-time digital transactions, alongside major investment in highways, railways, waterways and aviation.

Women and youth central to progress

Women's advancement featured prominently, with the President noting that women won 8 of India's 13 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and that over 10 crore women are now part of Self Help Groups. She said the target of creating 3 crore "Lakhpati Didis"—women earning over a lakh rupees—had been achieved, with a new target now set. The 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, reserving 33% of legislative seats for women, was cited as a step toward more inclusive democracy.

On youth, the President noted 65% of India's population is under 35, calling it the country's greatest asset, and referenced a recent rocket launch led by a team with an average age of 28 as a symbol of youth-driven innovation.

National security and heritage

The President commended the armed forces, referencing Kargil Vijay Diwas and the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, describing it as a precision operation that sent a clear message to terrorism and its backers. She also cited the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as a decisive step for national interest, and hailed India's Naxal-free progress, pointing to cultural revival through events like the Bastar Olympics.

She noted new UNESCO World Heritage recognitions — 12 Maratha forts and the Buddhist site of Sarnath — as symbols of India's spiritual and historical legacy.

Environment and foreign policy

Citing the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), the President said India's foreign policy rests on peace, dialogue and a rules-based international order, alongside a push for greater representation of the Global South at the United Nations. On the environment, she invoked a Santali folk song about a grieving parrot and a dying tree to stress humanity's duty to protect nature, referencing campaigns like "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" and "Lifestyle for Environment."

She closed by quoting Telugu writer Gurajada Apparao's message that a nation is defined by its people, not merely its land, and urged citizens to work together to transform "Swatantra Bharat" (independent India) into "Viksit Bharat" (developed India), ending with "Jai Hind, Jai Bharat."