Independence Day 2025: PM Modi Backs Startups for Viksit Bharat 2047

On India's 79th Independence Day, the Red Fort was not merely a historic location; it was becoming an aspirational stage in India's startup economy. Later in the afternoon, sharing his twelfth consecutive speech against a tricolor-ridged sky above Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed entrepreneurship, technology, and self-reliance at the heart of his vision for a Viksit Bharat 2047.

The Engine of Growth is through Startups

A 21 lakh crore economic vision has been announced by Modi, with details of reforms, innovation, and empowering youth heavily woven into the same. These words emphasized that startups are not a side story anymore but the greatest force of change in India. He ranged in topic from semiconductors to Made-in-India tech, and the theme was obvious: innovation will be how India plays globally. This was more than an Independence Day address, but it was a startup manual for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities emerging as Innovation Cities

Probably one of the most drastic turns in his speech was the one towards Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Modi highlighted the examples of Indore, Bhubaneswar, and Surat emerging as nerve points of start-ups, daring to break through the hold of Bengaluru and Mumbai as metros of startups.

He identified microloans of Mudra Yojana as a stimulus in the democratisation of capital. These programs are making young entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs become not just creators of new businesses but providers of regional economic stability and employment.

Funding, Innovation, and the Rise of Unicorns

Modi has focused on entrepreneurship since the Startup India (2016) as the core of his growth approach. In his speech, he further refined that message to say that there will be direct funding of 15,000 rupees per person as part of a new scheme to enable youth entrepreneurship. The mission is to make job seekers job creators, and use indigenous semiconductors, indigenous jet engines, and homegrown clean energy to power India up to the next stage.

Innovation geography is changing rapidly. Indore, Bhubaneswar, Surat, and Kanpur have joined Bengaluru and Mumbai as booming startup destinations. Uttar Pradesh has surpassed 14,000 startups and 26 unicorns, making it the third-largest startup state in India. Such changes have made entrepreneurship into a culture, as witnessed by events such as the Startup Mahakumbh that attracted 48,000 attendees.

The Indian startup ecosystem follows a healthy trend with 1.8 lakh registered startups and 118 unicorns. During the first half of 2025, such startups have received more than 5.7 billion dollars in financing through 470 transactions, and deeptech, healthtech, and cleantech flourished.

From Tax Reforms to Self-Reliance: PM’s Economic Blueprint

Drawing a background of remaining a decade of reforms, starting with simplification of the Income Tax to opening up FDI, Modi brought out the next generation GST reforms. He has declared lower duties on goods of everyday use, and his gift to the Indian households has been declared as a Diwali gift to the Indian households with an aim to relieve the budget burden, as well as to stoke consumption. But he added stronger emphasis on Atmanirbharta (self-reliance). Viksit Bharat ka aadhar bhi hai Aatmanirbhar Bharat: "Viksit Bharat ka aadhar bhi hai Aatmanirbhar Bharat- If someone becomes too dependent on others, the very question of freedom starts to fade," PM warned, framing economic independence as a core pillar of national sovereignty.

He sounded an alarm that the economic dependencies of a certain individual may reach a point to even the complete evaporation of the question of freedom as soon as one depends on others too much, they will lose their freedom.

Red Fort Address Marks Startups and Innovation as India’s Strength

The Independence Day speech of Modi did not stand merely as ceremonial because it was the economic roadmap that uses technology. His vision featured startups, youth innovation, and the digital India at the center, but projected a future where India not only appears in the global markets but also reshapes them. In laying out the future of India to 2047, the speech in the Red Fort gave the message that the strength of this nation is its startups, its innovative capabilities, and its self-reliant heritage.