Prime Minister Narendra Modi used India’s 79th Independence Day address from New Delhi’s Red Fort to intensify his call for a “self-reliant” economy, urging domestic production of everything from fertilisers to jet engines and electric-vehicle batteries. The 103-minute speech, his longest to date, included a vow to “stand like a wall” to safeguard farmers, fishermen and livestock owners. Modi announced a task force to steer next-generation regulatory and legislative reforms and said goods-and-services tax rates will be lowered from October to spur festive-season consumption. He also promised that made-in-India semiconductor chips will reach the market by year-end and cited exploration at more than 1,200 sites to secure critical minerals. The initiatives come as Washington ratchets up trade pressure. U.S. President Donald Trump last week imposed an additional 25-percentage-point levy on Indian exports—lifting tariffs on some products to as high as 50%—after talks stalled over farm-sector access and India’s purchases of Russian oil. The United States absorbed about $87 billion of Indian goods in 2024, making it New Delhi’s largest export market. Modi did not mention the United States by name but framed the measures as a response to “economic selfishness” abroad. He also revealed plans for a home-grown air-defence system dubbed “Sudarshan Chakra,” underscoring a broader push for indigenous capabilities in energy, technology and security.