Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, announced a series of major initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s technological capabilities, human capital, energy security and national resilience.
The announcements, covering artificial intelligence, education, sports, civil defence, semiconductors, nuclear energy and women-led development, set out a broad roadmap for accelerating India’s journey towards a developed nation.
One crore youth to receive AI training
Highlighting the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister announced that one crore young people will be trained in AI skills over the next year.
The initiative is intended to equip India’s youth with skills required for an increasingly AI-driven global economy and enable them to play a leading role in emerging technologies.
Free online coaching for competitive examinations
The Prime Minister also announced a nationwide network of free online coaching for young people preparing for competitive examinations.
He noted that the cost of coaching classes places a significant financial burden on poor and middle-class families. The proposed network will bring together Digital Public Infrastructure, teachers and other available talent to provide accessible examination preparation to students across the country.
Nationwide sports talent hunt for children
In a major push to identify and nurture sporting talent, the government will launch a nationwide talent hunt for children aged between five and 15 years.
The campaign will cover villages, cities and schools, with talented children identified for specialised training. The initiative is expected to focus not only on established sporting disciplines but also on Olympic sports in which India currently has limited or no participation.
The objective is to create a stronger pipeline of athletes capable of representing India at the international level.
Modern Civil Defence network planned
The Prime Minister announced plans to build a vibrant Civil Defence network capable of responding to the changing nature of modern threats.
He observed that contemporary warfare and security challenges are no longer necessarily restricted to traditional borders and could affect critical infrastructure such as refineries, banks, data centres and factories.
The government therefore intends to modernise Civil Defence arrangements, familiarise citizens with contemporary response systems and develop a large voluntary Civil Defence force equipped to deal with emerging challenges.
India to expand semiconductor manufacturing
Emphasising the strategic importance of semiconductor chips to the digital and technological economy, the Prime Minister said India was moving towards greater self-reliance in semiconductor manufacturing.
He said three semiconductor plants had already commenced operations and begun exporting production. Looking ahead, another five to eight semiconductor plants are expected to be established over the next seven to eight years.
The expansion is being positioned as an important component of India’s broader push for technological self-reliance and the realisation of the vision of Viksit Bharat.
100 GW nuclear capacity targeted by 2047
Energy security featured prominently in the Prime Minister’s address, particularly in the context of the rapidly growing energy requirements of artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing and data centres.
India has set a target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. The Prime Minister also announced plans to begin five new nuclear reactors within the current decade.
He further highlighted India’s progress in fast breeder nuclear technology, describing the milestone achieved this year as an important step towards greater self-reliance in nuclear fuel and energy.
Target of six crore Lakhpati Didis
Reaffirming the importance of women-led development, the Prime Minister announced a new target of six crore Lakhpati Didis.
He said the earlier target of creating three crore Lakhpati Didis had already been surpassed. The new goal aims to create another three crore women with annual household incomes reaching the Lakhpati Didi benchmark.
According to the Prime Minister, the expansion of women-led economic activity could bring about a major transformation in India’s rural economy and strengthen the role of women in the country’s development.
A broad roadmap for Viksit Bharat
Key takeaways
| Area | Announcement |
|---|---|
| AI & youth | 1 crore youth to receive AI-skilling over the next year |
| Education | Free online coaching network for competitive examinations |
| Sports | Nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5–15, with specialised training |
| Civil Defence | A modern, large-scale voluntary Civil Defence network to address new forms of warfare and infrastructure threats |
| Semiconductors | 5–8 additional semiconductor plants planned over the next 7–8 years |
| Nuclear energy | 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047, with five new reactors targeted within this decade |
| Women-led development | New target of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis, after the earlier 3-crore target was surpassed |
The announcements collectively underline the government’s emphasis on developing India’s technological and human capabilities while strengthening energy security, national preparedness and inclusive economic growth.
From training one crore youth in AI and expanding free digital education to building semiconductor and nuclear capacity and empowering millions of women, the initiatives announced on Independence Day present a wide-ranging roadmap towards a more self-reliant and technologically advanced India by 2047.
Source: PIB : https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2299801®=48&lang=1
