New Delhi, Aug. 15 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday set an ambitious target of making India a developed nation by 2047 and made a renewed pitch for cutting import dependence and boosting domestic manufacturing.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 76th Independence Day, Modi coined 'Panch Pran' or lifeblood resolves for the nation when it celebrates its 100th year of independence in 2047.
The first of them is to make India a developed nation.
"For the next 25 years, we need to focus on the 'Panch Pran'. The first is making India a developed country," he said.
India, which is the world's sixth largest economy with a GDP of USD 2.7 trillion, is currently classified as a developing nation.
A developed country is typically characterised by a relatively high level of economic growth, a general standard of living, and higher per capita income as well as performing well on the Human Development Index (HDI) that includes education, literacy and health.
India was classified as a 'third-world' country at the time of Independence from British rule in 1947. But over the past seven decades, its GDP has grown from just INR 2.7 lakh crore to INR 150 lakh crore.
The nation weathered many crises to be ranked among the biggest economies of the world and the fastest growing major economy on the planet.
In his address, the prime minister rooted for a self-sufficient nation not just in manufacturing all it needs but also in energy.
While the country is addressing energy security by increasing focus on renewable sources, biofuels and hydrogen, it is promoting domestic manufacturing through schemes such as PLI that provide INR 1 lakh crore of incentives to local production units.
"Through the PLI schemes, we are becoming the manufacturing powerhouse of the world. People are coming to India to Make-in-India," he said.
India imports 85 per cent of its oil needs and half of its natural gas requirements. These imports are being sought to be cut by mixing ethanol extracted from sugarcane and other agri commodities as well as producing hydrogen, he said.
"There are multiple employment opportunities opened with the creation of Green Jobs," he said referring to job creation by the clean energy sector.
Also, rapid technological advancement has helped in digital India.
The Digital India Movement with the production of semiconductors, 5G networks, and optical fibre networks show has shown great results in education, healthcare and changes in common man's lives, he said. "India's techade is here! With 5G, semiconductor manufacturing and OFCs in villages, we are bringing a revolution through Digital India to the grassroots level."
The success of Digital India and startups is clearly visible in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, he said, adding the country has made rapid progress in electronic goods and mobile phone manufacturing.
He said in the last eight years, direct transfer of subsidy and other benefits to the actual users through Aadhaar and mobile has checked pilferage of INR 2 lakh crore.
"India's industrial growth will come from the grassroots. Our MSMEs, street vendors and those working in the unorganised sectors need to be strengthened," he said.
From the space sector to drone manufacturing to natural farming, India is progressing rapidly in every sector, he said adding even children are now saying no to imported toys.
"When a 5-year-old says 'No videshi', Aatma Nirbhar Bharat runs through his veins," he said.
The Prime Minister said natural farming will give new strength to India.
From renewable energy to increasing infrastructure for medical education, India has improved on every front. "From space sector to drone manufacturing to natural farming, India is progressing rapidly in every sector," he said.
A made-in-India gun was used for the first time in 75 years for the ceremonial 21-shot salute to the tricolour at the historic Red Fort on Independence Day.
So far, British guns have been used for the ceremonial salute. Also, for the first time, MI-17 helicopters showered flowers at the Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations.
"The sound that we always wanted to hear, we are hearing it after 75 years. It is after 75 years that the tricolour has got the ceremonial salute at the Red Fort for the first time from a made-in-India gun," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
He said all Indians will get inspired and feel empowered on hearing this made-in-India gun roar.
The indigenous howitzer gun that was used for the ceremonial salute on Monday has been designed by the Centre-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
In his speech, Prime Minister Modi also commended the armed forces personnel for adopting his vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and taking steps towards realising it.
"I want to salute the soldiers of this country from my heart. The manner in which my vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat has been collectively adopted by the soldiers and officers of the armed forces, I can not salute them enough."
It is not a small resolution when a soldier decided to list 300 items that it will not import from other countries, Modi said.
He was referring to the Defence Ministry's decision to issue multiple "positive indigenisation lists" that lists 300 plus items which will not be imported after a certain period of time.
"I can see the seeds of Atmanirbhar Bharat in that resolution that will lead to the birth of a big tree," Modi added.
5G mobile telephony, which holds the promise of offering 10 times faster speeds and lag-free connectivity, will soon start in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
The Prime Minister touched upon all-round development of technology in the country from 5G to push for electronic chips, laying of optical fibre cable (OFC) network across villages and enablement of digital entrepreneurship in villages through Common Services Centres making the present decade as "techade" for India.
"Now we are stepping towards the era of 5G... won't have to wait for long. We are taking optical fibre to every village. I have full knowledge that the dream of Digital India will pass through villages.
"I am happy that India's 4 lakh common service centres are developing in villages. Country can boast of 4 lakh digital entrepreneurs getting ready in villages and people in villages becoming habitual of taking services from them," Modi said.
The government earlier this month sold 5G telecom spectrum for INR 1.5 lakh crore to billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Jio, Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel, richest Indian Gautam Adani's group and Vodafone Idea.
Besides powering ultra-low latency connections, which allow downloading full-length high-quality video or movie to a mobile device in a matter of seconds (even in crowded areas), the Fifth Generation or 5G would enable solutions such as e-health, connected vehicles, more-immersive augmented reality and metaverse experiences, life-saving use cases, and advanced mobile cloud gaming, among others.
Bharti Airtel will start rolling out 5G services this month and cover all towns and key rural areas of the country by March 2024. Country's largest telecom player Jio has completed 5G coverage planning in top 1,000 cities and conducted field trials of its home-grown 5G telecom gears.