Taking inspiration from the Mahabharata, Prime Minister Modi mentioned the moment when Lord Krishna blocked the sunlight from reaching the Earth once to help Arjuna defeat Jayadratha. Today, “we must also protect our important institutions from emerging threats.”
- On 15 August 2025, during his 79th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a historic national security initiative – Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
- This ambitious decade-long mission aims to secure India’s critical establishments using indigenous technology, marking a decisive step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) in the protection of defence and strategic infrastructure.
- Prime Minister Modi declared that “every citizen should feel safe” and emphasized that this mission will be research-driven and entirely developed in India.
Iron Dome All-Weather Air Defence System
- The air defence system named “Sudarshan Chakra” may be modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome all-weather air defence system, known as a highly effective missile shield.
- It is a short-range, surface-to-air air defence system that includes radar and Tamir interceptor missiles, which track and neutralize any rocket or missile targeted at Israeli assets.
- This advanced defence system has a 90 percent success rate and has so far foiled more than 2,000 Hamas attacks.
Call for Indigenous Jet Engine
- He announced that India will launch its first Made-in-India semiconductor chip by 2025 and is opening the nuclear sector to private companies, creating unprecedented opportunities in energy and technology.
- Mr. Modi also hinted at New Delhi’s commitment to reducing dependence on foreign technologies for military platforms and called for the development of jet engines for India’s fighter aircraft domestically.
- About 35 years ago, India had launched a project to develop jet engines for indigenous aircraft. However, the Kaveri engine project has not yet been completed. ₹2,035 crore has already been spent on this project.
- This engine project was approved in 1989 by the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs and was primarily launched for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Longest Speech So Far
- On 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history by delivering a 103-minute Independence Day speech from the historic Red Fort – the longest ever speech by any Indian Prime Minister.
- This speech broke his own 2024 record of 98 minutes. Before Modi, the longest Independence Day speeches were by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 (72 minutes) and Inder Kumar Gujral in 1997 (71 minutes).
Shortest Speeches
- In contrast, some of the shortest Independence Day speeches were by leaders such as Nehru himself (14 minutes in 1954) and Indira Gandhi (14 minutes in 1966).
- Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speeches in 2012 and 2013 were also relatively brief, lasting 32 and 35 minutes respectively. Similarly, Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivered 25-minute and 30-minute speeches in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
PM Modi Second in Most Speeches Delivered
- The 2025 speech was Modi’s 12th consecutive Independence Day address, placing him second after India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who delivered 17 consecutive speeches. PM Modi has broken Indira Gandhi’s record of 11 consecutive speeches.
