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India’s Independence Day Special News India Times (August 22, 2026 - August 28, 2026) August 28, 2026 3 www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh Founder, Chairman & Publisher Ilayas Quraishi Chief Operating Officer Ela Dutt Editor Archana Adalja Contributing Editor T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman Advisor Arun Shah Ahmedabad Bureau Chief Peter Ferreira, Deval Parikh, Freelance Photographers Bhailal M. Patel Executive Vice President Jim Gallentine Business Development Manager - U.S. Shahnaz Sheikh Senior Manager Advertising & Marketing Sonia Lalwani Advertising Manager Shailu Desai Advertising New York Muslima Shethwala Syed Sheeraz Mahmood Advertising Chicago Digant Sompura Consultant for Business Development Ahmedabad, India Hervender Singh Circulation Manager Main Office Editorial & Corporate Headquarters 1655 Oak Tree Toad, Suite 155 Edison, NJ 08820-2843 Tel. (212) 675-7515 Fax. 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Postmaster: Send address change to News India Times, 1655 Oak Tree Toad, Suite 155 Edison, NJ 08820-2843 Annual Subscription: United States: $28 Disclaimer: Parikh Worldwide Media assumes no liability for claims/ assumptions made in advertisements and advertorials. “I Want To Shake The Nation. I Want To Awaken The Strength Of The Nation, PM Modi On India’s Independence Day (Following are extracts from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech from Red Fort on August 15, 2026) M y dear fellow citizens, Today, we are celebrating the 80th Independence Day. …. My best wishes to all of you on Independence Day. Today, the nation remembers with reverence those great sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifices for the freedom of our country. ….For everyone present at this ceremony today, this is also a historic moment. For the first time since inde- pendence, Vande Mataram is echoing from the Red Fort on August 15. And as we celebrate 150 years of Vande Mataram today, what could be a more wonderful occasion than this? …. Bharat has also set a very big dream today—… And that dream is this: when we complete 100 years of independence in 2047, we will have built a ‘Viksit Bharat’. ….….We need a sense of self-respect. And, at the same time, it is extremely im- portant to become ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India). …. We must become self-reliant. …. we must strengthen our own capacities and protect our own interests ourselves. That is why we are moving forward with a firm resolve for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. …. Let me give you the example of semiconductors. ….The world has reached a point where the entire system could come to a standstill without chips. That is why, Bharat has begun establishing its own semiconduc- tor manufacturing capacity in the di- rection of becom- ing self-reliant. Three major semi- conductor plants have already been started. ….over the coming seven to eight years, another five, seven, or even eight semicon- ductor plants are expected to begin operations very soon. …. ….A similar discussion is taking place around critical minerals. The entire technology sector is dependent on critical minerals. Bharat is working to secure itself in this area as well. …. Agreements are being signed with several countries, and many coun- tries around the world are now beginning to place their trust in Bharat in the field of critical minerals. ….It is now difficult to run the new world without energy, and therefore, whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we will need electricity in very large quanti- ties. Energy security is the need of the hour, and therefore, we have already taken a series of strong steps in this direc- tion. ….I said that, as far as energy security is concerned, it is equally important for us to put our full strength behind alterna- tive sources. …. ….Before 2014, piped gas reached barely 20–22 lakh households. Today, work is underway to provide piped gas to nearly 1.75 crore households. …. Over the past 10–12 years, we have faced numerous crises. A pandemic like COVID-19 had plunged the entire world into uncertainty, and all systems had been thrown into turmoil. We emerged from COVID, only to witness the horrors of war, with conflicts in Ukraine on one hand andWest Asia on the other. ….But the country has now seen that the well-considered plans of the past 10–12 years are bearing fruit. Despite such a massive crisis, Bharat, guided by the principle of Nagrik Devo Bhava had made preparations and taken one step after another. We had not imagined that such a crisis would arise, but when it did, all these preparations proved useful. Today, the country has gas, petrol and urea. We are standing on the strength of our own capabilities, and moving forward with confidence. ….These global crises have affected everyone, and we too are not immune. … …. India possesses a stable politi- cal mandate and a stable government, a vibrant democracy, a robust judicial system, and the Constitution of India that guides us all and now the world has started recognizing our strength. And so, after 2014, we have been entering into Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with nearly 40 countries. ….We must move forward with a clear sense of direction. …Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I invoke these seven streams (Sapta Dhara) of power before the country. In the coming 5-7 years, what could not be done in the last 5-7 decades, with the strength and power of Sapta Dhara, we will give the country new heights, new momentum and the ability to achieve new goals. Along- side this, the poten- tial of the nation’s youth power will be fully harnessed for nation-building; their strength will be integrated into the effort. In the coming days, when I talk about Sapta Dhara, the first power of Sapta Dhara is – manufacturing power. …. We must significantly advance the manufacturing sector; alongside boost- ing production, we need to manufacture everything from small components to large-scale products. …. Extracts from PMModi’s speech Panoramic view of 80th Independence Day of India at Red Fort August 15, 2026. Greeting the admiring crowds, including the many young people who were front and center at the Independence Day ceremony. PHOTOS:X.COM @NARENDRAMODI PHOTOS:X.COM @NARENDRAMODI -Continued On Page 4