New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- Over 103 minutes of exhortation - the longest on record by any Prime Minister in independent India - Narendra Modi used his 12th Independence Day address to urge citizens to make a decisive shift towardsswadeshi (local) products, framing it as a shield against global supply chain disruptions, tariff wars, and shifting geopolitical alliances.

Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 78th anniversary of India's independence, Modi outlined a roadmap that tied together increased domestic manufacturing, sweeping indirect tax reforms, and a strengthened national security architecture under the Sudarshan Chakra mission, as he looked to deliver a strong response to several challenges the country has been facing in ...