Women are key drivers of India’s growth, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (August 15, 2025) said that women in India were not only beneficiaries of a rising economy but also its key drivers.

“From start-ups to the space sector, from the playing fields to the armed forces, our daughters are making their mark. Today, with pride, women stand shoulder to shoulder in the country’s journey of development,” Mr. Modi said in his address to the nation on Independence Day.

“Every sector now proudly acknowledges the strength of our nari shakti (women’s power),” he said, mentioning the first batch of women cadets who graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA). “The whole country was filled with pride at that historic moment”.

Mr. Modi also praised the transformative role of women’s self-help groups (SHGs), saying that programmes like the ‘NaMo Drone Didi’ have given rural women a new identity.

“I am happy to inform the nation that, with the support of our nari shakti, two crore women have already become Lakhpati Didis,” he said.

The Lakhpati Didi scheme, also known as the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, is an initiative by the Ministry of Rural Development that aims to empower women in SHGs to earn a sustainable annual household income of ₹1 lakh or more. Several of these ‘Lakhpati Didis’ were present at the Red Fort on Friday as special guests.

Mr. Modi also paid homage to the visionaries who drafted India’s Constitution, especially highlighting the role of women leaders in shaping the document.

“Our nari shakti also played an important role. Leaders like Hansa Mehta and Dakshayani Velayudhan made significant contributions in strengthening the Constitution of India,” he said.