15/08/2026
The India I Heard in Today’s Independence Day Speech 🇮🇳
Today, as India celebrated its 80th Independence Day, I listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address from the Red Fort.
I listened not only as an Indian, but as an entrepreneur, businessman and someone who spends his days working with business owners.
And a few thoughts kept echoing in my mind long after the speech ended.
1. From “Made in India” to “Brand India”
One thought I found particularly powerful was the vision of building Brand India.
For years, we have celebrated India as the world’s talent pool, manufacturing destination and technology powerhouse.
But perhaps the next question is:
Can the world look at a product, a company or a service and immediately think — “This is Indian. And I can trust it.”
That requires a fundamental shift.
Not just more production.
Better production.
Not just more exports.
Better quality.
Not just competing on price.
Competing on quality, innovation, reliability and excellence.
The future of Made in India should be about creating products that the world doesn't merely buy — but respects.
That is how Brand India will be built.
And every Indian business has a role in building it.
2. Are We Accidentally Outsourcing Educational Institutions?
This was perhaps the most thought-provoking part for me.
India's coaching industry has grown into a massive parallel education system.
But why?
If a student has to leave school, college or university and go somewhere else to actually prepare for life, careers or competitive examinations, we need to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question:
What are we missing inside our mainstream education system?
There is another side to this.
If the most capable teachers and professionals increasingly find better opportunities in the coaching ecosystem, are we unintentionally weakening the very schools, colleges and universities that are supposed to educate our next generation?
The idea of Government Building up a platform for free online coaching is a welcome step. This will reduce the burden on parents of additional fees and on students of giving time in private coaching and institutions together.
We have to prepare a system by which the best teachers and top faculty gets attracted into mainstream schools, colleges and universities of India and slowly the private coaching goes down.
India doesn't just need more educated children.
We need better educated, better mentored and better prepared citizens.
3. Can We Make the World Fall in Love With India?
India has something no marketing agency can manufacture.
Civilisation.
Culture.
Spirituality.
Food.
History.
Architecture.
Nature.
Diversity.
And millions of stories.
The opportunity in tourism is therefore much bigger than bringing more foreign visitors into India.
It is about creating experiences that make someone return home and say:
“I have to go back to India.”
Imagine the economic power of that India.
Millions of visitors.
Millions of new jobs.
Millions of entrepreneurs.
And millions of people carrying a positive story about India back to the world.
4. Why Should India Stop at 9 Fortune 500 Companies?
The ambition to take Indian companies in the Fortune 500 from the current single digits to 50 is not just a number.
It is a mindset.
For decades, Indian professionals have built global companies.
Now it is time for Indian entrepreneurs to build global companies.
Not just companies that operate in India.
Companies headquartered in India that compete, innovate and lead across the world.
We need to stop asking:
“How big can my business become in my city?”
And start asking:
“How big can my Indian company become in the world?”
That shift in ambition could change everything.
5. India Has the Talent. Now We Need the Institutions.
The call for Indian IT companies, financial firms, audit firms, credit-rating agencies and other professional service organisations to scale to international standards particularly resonated with me.
India has never had a shortage of talent.
Our challenge now is to convert that talent into institutions of global scale.
We have built world-class professionals.
Now we need to build world-class Indian institutions around them.
Companies that don't just serve the world from India.
Companies that lead the world from India.
6. The Next Freedom Struggle Is Different
Our freedom struggle gave us political independence.
The next generation has a different responsibility.
Freedom from mediocrity.
Freedom from outdated systems.
Freedom from the mindset of playing small.
Freedom from believing that global leadership belongs to someone else.
The India of the next 25 years cannot be built only through government policies.
It will be built in our classrooms.
In our factories.
In our startups.
In our family businesses.
In our boardrooms.
In our laboratories.
And in the everyday decisions of millions of Indians.
That is what stayed with me today.
I don't think the question before India is whether we can become a developed nation.
I think the bigger question is:
What kind of developed nation do we want to become?
A country that simply grows?
Or a country that the world looks up to?
A country that exports products?
Or a country that exports quality?
A country that produces talent?
Or a country that produces global leaders?
A country that has businesses?
Or a country that builds global institutions?
For me, the answer is clear.
I want to see an India that doesn't merely participate in the world.
I want to see an India that helps lead it.
And perhaps, that is our generation's real opportunity.
🇮🇳 Jai Hind. Vande Mataram.
Narendra Modi PMO India
