India celebrated the 80th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2026, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering a 75-minute address from the ramparts of Red Fort (the 17th-century Mughal fortress in New Delhi that serves as the traditional setting for Independence Day speeches), outlining ambitions across defence, energy security, sports and political reform. Modi warned that some nations were "weaponising" strategic resources and sea routes — remarks widely read as referencing disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz caused by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran — and called for accelerated domestic energy production, including a new offshore exploration scheme worth ₹84,084 crore and a target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047. On the eve of the celebrations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India's domestic defence production had grown nearly fourfold since 2014, reaching a record ₹1.78 lakh crore (approximately $21 billion) in 2025–26, while defence exports surged more than 5,500% over the same period to ₹38,424 crore, with India now supplying military equipment to more than 80 countries. Modi also used the address to call on opposition parties to support the long-stalled 33% women's reservation bill for parliament and state assemblies, to launch a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5–15 in pursuit of India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics, and to pledge free online coaching for competitive examinations to ease financial pressure on poor and middle-class families.