PM Modi bets on energy security, chips and tech to power India's 2047 ambition

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi said India's growing ambitions could not be met without securing the energy, technology and critical minerals needed to power a rapidly expanding economy. He also warned that the weaponisation of resources.

Equally, semiconductors are key to the vision of a more self-reliant India, with the prime minister saying the country could no longer afford to depend on overseas supplies for technologies critical to its economy. Three semiconductor plants have already started production, he said, adding.

What Happened

He said that India has transformed from 'Fragile Five' to the world's fastest-growing major economy in the last 12 years. Modi also highlighted critical minerals as a strategic priority, saying India was stepping up exploration and forging agreements with other countries to.

• Modi said India was also accelerating offshore oil and gas exploration, after opening up 99 per cent of its coastline that had previously been designated as "no-go" areas.

• Modi framed the push for energy and technological self-reliance as essential to India's ambition of becoming a developed country by 2047, arguing that the country's growing economic weight would increasingly depend on its ability.

• "We must not make the country merely a market for the world; we have to become a hub of innovation."

Key Details

The emphasis on domestic capabilities comes as India seeks to reduce vulnerabilities in global supply chains and build greater resilience in areas ranging from energy and minerals to chips and digital technologies. He said that the next five to seven years would.

• The prime minister said India must go beyond being a major technology market and become a global innovation hub, pointing to artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space, robotics, data centres and next-generation communications.

• He described the reform agenda as a matter of conviction rather than necessity.

• We cannot operate with the policies and rules of the past.

Why It Matters

He outlined a sevenfold growth strategy spanning manufacturing; agriculture and food processing; technology and innovation; infrastructure and connectivity; defence; the green and blue economy; and India's broader global capabilities. Manufacturing, he said, must cover the entire value chain, from design and components.

• He also called for reforms across government and industry, saying existing policies and rules could not be allowed to constrain India's future ambitions.

• "There should be no compromise on quality, and therefore our mantra should be quality, quality, quality."

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by DT Next as more details emerge