Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced two decisive national security moves from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 79th Independence Day Mission Sudarshan Chakra to shield strategic, civilian, and religious sites from any enemy strike, a push for Made-in-India fighter jet engines to end dependence on foreign suppliers, and a thunderous tribute to the bravery of the Armed Forces in Operation Sindoor that flattened Pakistan’s terror camps to the ground.
PM Modi hailed the soldiers who avenged the Pahalgam terror attack, called out Pakistan’s decades-long terror machinery, and made it clear that India’s armed forces will strike harder than ever at any threat to the nation.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Multi-Layered Defence Shield for India
The Prime Minister then announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a high-tech national defence shield inspired by Lord Shri Krishna’s legendary weapon. The system will integrate advanced surveillance, interception, and counter-attack capabilities to protect strategic, civilian, and religious locations across India.
“In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra…The nation will be launching the Sudarshan Chakra Mission,” PM Modi said.
The Sudarshan Chakra system will use cutting-edge technology to create a multi-layered protective shield similar in concept to Israel’s Iron Dome, which has successfully intercepted thousands of aerial threats. India’s version will be designed to counter threats in air, land, and sea domains.
“This will be a formidable deterrent to any hostile attempt to harm us,” Modi declared, adding that protecting sacred and strategic sites is a priority for the government.
Push for Made-in-India Fighter Jet Engines
PM Modi also used his address to renew the push for defence self-reliance, specifically in aircraft engine technology. He called upon India’s young scientists, engineers, and professionals to develop indigenous jet engines for fighter aircraft.
“Today, I urge the young scientists, talented youth, engineers, professionals and all departments of the Government that we should have our jet engines for our own Made in India fighter jets,” Modi said.
The remarks come amid delays in the supply of GE engines for the Tejas Mk1A fighter jets. These delays have already slowed production and deployment schedules for the Indian Air Force. Recent tensions in India–US relations have raised concerns that engine supplies could face further disruption.
Developing an indigenous jet engine will ensure India’s fighter aircraft programme is not dependent on foreign suppliers, thereby safeguarding critical defence capabilities.
Pakistan Warned, Operation Sindoor Lauded
On India’s 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the Red Fort, had a clear message for Pakistan — India will treat terrorists and those who aid them as one, and any future misadventure will meet decisive retribution at the hands of its armed forces. Praising the military, PM Modi said the operation had inflicted heavy losses on Pakistan, with new evidence of the damage surfacing daily. He reaffirmed that India would not bow to Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”
“What our forces achieved in Operation Sindoor has not been witnessed in decades,” PM Modi said. “We have set a new normal in tackling cross-border terrorism. I salute our brave soldiers who delivered a punishment for the Pahalgam attack far beyond the enemy’s imagination.”
PM Modi declared that India and its farmers have sole rights over the country’s share of the Indus river waters, branding the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan as “unjust and one-sided.” He said the decades-old agreement had caused “enormous harm” to Indian agriculture, allowing rivers originating in India to irrigate “the fields of our enemies” while leaving Indian soil and farmers parched. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” he said, referring to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people.
Operation Sindoor and Military Gallantry
PM Modi’s announcements come in the wake of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists and striking multiple Pakistani military installations.
On the eve of Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu approved a large number of gallantry and distinguished service awards for the soldiers who participated in these operations. This included four Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, and dozens of other honours across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The recognition of these soldiers underscores the government’s message that acts of bravery in defending the nation will be honoured at the highest level.
A Strong Security Roadmap for the Future
The 79th Independence Day address laid out a clear and uncompromising vision for India’s security and defence. Mission Sudarshan Chakra will provide a powerful protective shield for India’s most important sites. The push for Made-in-India jet engines will strengthen self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
These initiatives, combined with the recognition of the bravery of Indian soldiers in recent operations, send a strong message that India will act decisively to defend its sovereignty. PM Modi’s speech reaffirmed that the government is committed to a secure, self-reliant, and resilient India — one that is ready to face any challenge on its own terms.
