Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders used the moment to question Modi’s delivery and confidence during Saturday’s nationally televised speech. Congress leader Pawan Khera shared the clip with a sarcastic reference to the Prime Minister speaking without a teleprompter, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal described Modi as appearing “under-confident, nervous and shaky”.
The clip was taken from a section of the speech in which Modi highlighted the growth of the bioeconomy since 2014. He said the sector had expanded from a turnover of about ₹60,000 crore before 2014 to ₹20 lakh crore, presenting the increase as evidence of the impact of government policy and the contribution of young people to biotechnology and innovation.
While delivering the figures, Modi briefly faltered, looked down at the papers before him and resumed his remarks. Opposition leaders focused on the pause rather than challenging the broader claim that the biotechnology economy had expanded substantially during the period.
Available sector estimates broadly support the direction of that growth, although measurements expressed in dollars and rupees vary depending on the year and methodology. The bioeconomy was valued at about $10 billion in 2014, rose to roughly $165 billion in 2024 and crossed $195 billion in 2025. The government is targeting a bioeconomy worth $300 billion by 2030.
The political dispute over Modi’s delivery formed only one strand of opposition criticism following his 13th consecutive Independence Day address. The Prime Minister also drew attacks for describing ideological adversaries as “dimaagi Naxals”, or intellectual Naxals, after declaring that armed Naxalism had been largely eliminated. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the terminology, arguing that Modi had moved from calling opponents “urban Naxals” to using another label against critics.
Modi’s speech nevertheless concentrated mainly on development, self-reliance, technological capacity and his government’s goal of achieving a developed country by 2047. He outlined seven broad areas of national strength covering manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, technology and innovation, infrastructure, defence production, green and blue economic activity, and soft power.
Technology occupied a prominent place in the address. Modi announced plans to train one crore young people in artificial intelligence skills over the next year and promised free online coaching for competitive examinations. He also said seven to eight semiconductor plants were expected to emerge over the next one to two years as the government seeks to reduce dependence on imported technology.
The Prime Minister also called for greater domestic capability in drones, counter-drone systems and hypersonic technology, linking technological sovereignty with defence preparedness. Energy security, nuclear power and critical minerals featured prominently in the broader self-reliance programme presented from the Red Fort.
Modi used the address to contrast the economic position of the country when he took office in 2014 with its position after 12 years of BJP-led governments. He said the economy had moved from being counted among the so-called “Fragile Five” to becoming the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
The Independence Day appearance carried additional political significance because it was Modi’s 13th consecutive address from the Red Fort, placing him alongside Jawaharlal Nehru among prime ministers with the longest uninterrupted runs of Independence Day speeches.
(IPA Service)
