India's Modi pushes for self-reliance in Independence Day speech amid threat of US tariffs
Addressing the country from New Delhi's 17th-century, Mughal-era Red Fort, he said everything from fertilisers to jet engines and EV batteries should be manufactured in India.
"Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities," Mr Modi said in his customary annual address. "Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers," he said.
Mr Modi did not mention the tariffs or the US in his speech that lasted nearly two hours. Last week, US president Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations.
Although local manufacturing and self-reliance have been Mr Modi's key focus areas for years now, the push is seen to have gained urgency amid ongoing global trade tensions and supply chain disruptions.
"The need of the hour is to take a resolve for building a strong India ... I want our traders, shopkeepers to display boards for Swadeshi [Made in India] products," he said.
He said made-in-India semiconductor chips would hit the market by the end of this year and that India was pushing for self-reliance in producing critical minerals with exploration underway at more than 1,200 locations. Mr Trump's tariffs threaten to disrupt India's access to its largest export market, where shipments totalled nearly $87bn (£ bn) in 2024, hitting sectors like textiles, footwear, shrimp, gems and jewellery.
Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases.
The prime minister announced India would set up a new defence system called 'Sudarshan Chakra' in the aftermath of India's four-day military conflict with Pakistan in May.
"India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats. For a long time, nuclear blackmail had been going on but this blackmail will not be tolerated now," Mr Modi said.
Pakistani prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced the creation of a new "Army Rocket Force Command" to bolster the country's defense capabilities. Sharif made this announcement during a speech marking Independence Day celebrations, but gave no further details.
India celebrates its Independence Day one day after Pakistan. The two states came into existence as a result of the bloody partition of British India in 1947. The process sparked some of the worst communal violence the world has seen and left hundreds of thousands dead. It triggered one of the largest human migrations in history and some 12 million people fled their homes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
India confident of meeting fiscal deficit target, despite planned tax cuts
NEW DELHI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - India is confident of meeting its fiscal deficit target of 4.4% for the current fiscal year, according to a government source with knowledge of the matter, despite its plans to cut consumption tax later this year. In the biggest tax overhaul since 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced sweeping changes to the complex goods and services tax (GST) regime which will make daily essentials and electronics cheaper. "India's federal and state governments have options to offset any loss of revenue due to lowering of rates," the government source said without providing further details. The source also said it will end the practice of collecting compensation cess by December. The GST compensation cess is an additional levy imposed on certain items to compensate states for any revenue loss incurred due to the implementation. India's finance ministry did not respond to a request for comment sent outside of office hours.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Meet the Afghan girls building robots at home after the Taliban stopped their education
In the sweltering heat of Kabul, a group of young women, who have been barred from higher education for the past three years, gather in one of their homes to work on a new project. Calling themselves 'Voices of Hope,' the group's members are former computer science students who refuse to abandon their pursuit of knowledge, despite the Taliban's sweeping ban on female education. They are using the internet and artificial intelligence to reconnect with the subject they once studied at university. In a country where even a walk in the park is off-limits for them, they have created their own community of learners behind closed doors. Their education was interrupted in December 2022, when a Taliban ban forced them to abandon their studies. The young women were all in their second semester of computer science studies at a private Afghan university. Initially, they clung to the hope that public outrage and international pressure might prompt the regime to reverse its decision. Instead, the Taliban, who had seized power in 2021, issued even harsher decrees, further tightening restrictions on women and making their lives even more difficult. Asrar Parsa, the 25-year-old leader of Voices of Hope, told Independent Persian that the university ban caused a wave of despair. But she and 20 of her classmates decided to keep going, turning to online educational resources to continue studying at home. Since then, the team has taken on several projects in their desire to learn, grow and keep their dreams alive. Among their achievements are building two robots from scratch. They cost about 30,000 Afghanis (roughly $430 or £330) to build, paid for by the group members themselves. Under Taliban rule, women are not allowed to go outside without a male guardian. The team has one male member: Asrar's 28-year-old brother, Navid Parsa, a computer science graduate who is their link to the outside world. He runs errands for the group and brings in supplies from the city. The group started off with 20 members. But over time, 14 dropped out due to economic hardship and a growing sense of hopelessness. Asrar explains: 'Our goal was to keep the light of hope alive in our hearts, to stay motivated, and to learn about AI. But most of the team became disheartened and gave up.' However, some chose to stay. 19-year-old Hadiya Ahmadi, says she suffered from depression and anxiety after universities shut down. But working on small projects and learning how to use AI with the support of the group helped her feel better. Over the past two years, the team has used what they learned in their first year of university and supplemented it with online tutorials. They've built two robots and several other devices. One robot can recognise 20 different objects, including humans, and is controlled remotely. The team tested its movement on a kitchen table. It's powered via radio frequency and bluetooth and can be operated through four different apps. Asrar says if developed further, it could be used in search and rescue operations after earthquakes or explosions. The team is also working on building a drone. If successful, they hope it could be used for tasks like collecting rubbish, delivering emergency medicine, or transporting small items across Kabul. For Asrar, Hadiya, and the rest of the group, tinkering with wires and batteries and listening to online lessons is about more than just robotics or AI. In a time when, under Taliban laws, even a woman's voice and face are deemed awrah (something to be hidden), these sessions are a way to cope with the mental and emotional toll of their isolation. Asrar says these gatherings are a way to escape 'the pain and grief brought about by their current situation'. The meetings offer hope, she explains:'When we're together, it feels like not everything is lost. We still have the power to learn and grow.' Hadiya adds that meeting the group two to three times a week has had a positive impact on her mental well-being. They study AI, build robots, and talk about their hopes for the future. She says she feels better now than she did when her university first closed down: 'Seeing the results of our work makes us happy. It makes us feel that our education isn't over yet and we can still try to reach our goals.' They draw inspiration from another Afghan robotics team, known as 'The Afghan Dreamers', which was founded in 2017 and gained widespread attention both at home and abroad. Focused on technology, engineering, and robotics, the team became a symbol of talent and hope in the face of social and political restrictions. After the Taliban returned to power and banned education and employment for women and girls, team members left the country and now continue their work in exile. For Voices of Hope, the Afghan Dreamers serve as an inspiration. But unlike them, Asrar's team has not yet received any support from external organisations. Despite all the obstacles, they hope to one day showcase their work in international exhibitions, and find opportunities to keep chasing their dreams. The Taliban have strictly enforced their ban on education for girls over the age of 12, claiming that they are adhering to 'Sharia law'. These decrees, especially those denying women access to education and jobs, have drawn widespread international condemnation. But Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has dismissed international pressure as 'pointless.' Over the past four years, Mullah Hibatullah has repeatedly emphasised the importance of 'education within the framework of Sharia and Islamic principles'. However, not once has he addressed the topic of education or employment for women and girls in Afghanistan.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump claims Chinese president Xi made him a big promise about the fate of Taiwan
Donald Trump has claimed that Chinese president Xi Jinping promised not to invade Taiwan while he remains in the White House, as the US leader positions himself as a global dealmaker on some of the world's most volatile conflicts. Speaking en route to the Alaska summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday, Mr Trump told Fox News he 'appreciates' Mr Xi's patience. "I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don't believe there's any way it's going to happen as long as I'm here. We'll see," Mr Trump said during an interview on Fox News' "Special Report' onboard Air Force One. "He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.' President Xi told me that, and I said, 'Well, I appreciate that,' but he also said, 'But I am very patient, and China is very patient." Mr Trump said. The US and its allies have long sought to deter China from taking military action against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and has threatened to seize by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claim. The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday described the topic of Taiwan as "the most important and sensitive issue" in China-US relations, without referring to Mr Trump's statement. "The US government should adhere to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communique, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, and earnestly safeguard China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement. Taiwan is yet to respond to Mr Trump's remarks. Mr Trump and Mr Xi held their first confirmed call under the US president's second presidential term in June. Later in April, Mr Trump said that the Chinese president had called him, but did not specify when that call took place. His comments on Taiwan come as he presses Russia and Ukraine towards a peace deal, repeating his campaign promise to end the war 'within 24 hours' of taking office. He has already claimed credit for easing or resolving several other disputes, including tensions between India and Pakistan in May, the Cambodia–Thailand border standoff in July, and flare-ups involving Congo and Rwanda, and Serbia and Kosovo. By citing Mr Xi's assurances alongside his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Mr Trump is seeking to cast himself as the central broker of peace in multiple global crises –a narrative he has openly linked to his pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize.
