PM Modi Sets New Record With 103-Minute Independence Day Address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a 103-minute Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the longest by any Indian Prime Minister to date, surpassing his own previous record from last year. He began his address at 7:34am and concluded at 9:17am, setting a new personal and national benchmark for I-Day speech duration.

Key Milestones and Records

• Modi’s 103-minute address is the longest Independence Day speech in India’s history, overtaking his 98-minute speech delivered last year.
• This marks his 12th consecutive Independence Day address, placing him second only to Jawaharlal Nehru’s 17 in a row and ahead of Indira Gandhi’s 11 consecutive speeches.
• Earlier longest addresses included Jawaharlal Nehru’s 72-minute speech in 1947 and I.K. Gujral’s 71-minute speech in 1997, both now surpassed multiple times by Modi’s longer addresses.

Duration Timeline of Modi’s I-Day Speeches

• 2014: 65 minutes.
• 2015: 88 minutes.
• 2016: 96 minutes (among his longest before 2024).
• 2017: 56 minutes (his shortest).
• 2018: 83 minutes.
• 2019: 92 minutes.
• 2020: 90 minutes.
• 2021: 88 minutes.
• 2022: 74 minutes.
• 2023: 90 minutes.
• 2024: 98 minutes (previous record).
• 2025: 103 minutes (new record).

Major Themes From the 2025 Speech

PM Modi framed the 79th Independence Day address around national security, economic self-reliance, and strategic technology, highlighting an assertive policy approach and new national missions.

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• National Security and Counterterrorism: He referenced India’s decisive response to terrorism, with “Operation Sindoor” cited as setting a “new normal” in counterterror actions and strategic clarity.
• Strategic Autonomy and Trade: He emphasized “vocal for local” and Make-in-India ambitions, projecting India’s manufacturing drive amid global trade headwinds.
• New Initiatives: Announcements included Mission Sudarshan Chakra for advanced defense capabilities and a High-Power Demography Mission addressing concerns around demographic changes impacting security and livelihoods.
• Critical Minerals and Self-Reliance: Modi underscored self-sufficiency in critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, noting exploration at 1,200+ locations to support sectors from chips to EVs and solar.
• Economic and Governance Agenda: Outlines and reactions through the day’s coverage pointed to reforms and mission-mode programs spanning industry, jobs, and strategic technologies, with follow-up explainers collating key announcements.

Why This Speech Stands Out

• Record-setting Length: At 103 minutes, it redefines the temporal arc of Independence Day speeches in modern India.
• Consecutive Addresses: With 12 consecutive speeches, Modi moves past Indira Gandhi’s tally for back-to-back Independence Day addresses, standing second only to Nehru’s 17.
• Policy Density: The 2025 address packaged national security signals, industrial policy, and resource strategy—especially critical minerals—into a single, extended national message.

Context From Previous Prime Ministers

• Jawaharlal Nehru’s inaugural 1947 address ran 72 minutes, long considered a benchmark before the Modi era expanded the upper range.
• I.K. Gujral delivered a 71-minute speech in 1997, another pre-Modi high-water mark.
• Some of the shortest speeches were by Manmohan Singh (32 and 35 minutes in 2012 and 2013) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 and 30 minutes in 2002 and 2003), while Indira Gandhi and Nehru also delivered very short addresses at 14 minutes in 1966 and 1954 respectively.

Source Attribution

• Primary reporting on the 103-minute duration and record: Press Trust of India and multiple national outlets carried the update as the speech concluded.
• Live and highlights coverage capturing themes, announcements, and on-ground timings: Indian Express, India Today, Times of India, and others.
• Comparative records and historical context on longest/shortest speeches: Economic Times and related explainers.

Note: This article is an original rewrite for publication by Fikrokhabar, drawing on live coverage and reports from national media and wire services published on August 15, 2025.