Youth, self-reliance, women’s quota: PM Modi’s 5-point roadmap for Viksit Bharat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech on August 15 outlined a five-point roadmap for a developed India, or Viksit Bharat, by 2047. The main themes were youth employment, self-reliance, faster governance, manufacturing and technology, and women's reservation. The government plans to train one million young people in AI skills, create a nationwide network of free online coaching, and set up a talent hunt among children aged five to 15.

Energy security is a key focus, with a target of 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 and five new nuclear reactors to be built in the next decade. The government also aims to expand solar power from 2 GW before 2014 to 160 GW. The emphasis on self-reliance is framed as a response to global resource weaponization, citing conflicts and disruptions over the past few years.

Modi sees speed as a defining feature of his government's approach, contrasting the previous period of slower progress with a new culture of delivery.