Independence Day 2023 highlights: World leaders extend greetings to India

As India is celebrating its 77th Independence Day, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai on Tuesday evening was illuminated in colours of the Indian flag (Tiranga) to honour the country. Read more

Security was intensified outside the Indian Embassy here on Tuesday in view of the protests by pro-Khalistan groups on the occasion of India’s Independence Day. Read more

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday interacted with sarpanches of Vibrant Border Villages in New Delhi, today. The sarpanches were invited to attend the Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his spouse Sudesh Dhankhar attended the 'At Home' reception hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on the occasion of #IndependenceDay at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Leaders of various countries on Tuesday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the country's 77th Independence Day.

Modi thanked leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Bhutanese PM Lotay Tsherin for their greetings.

"Congratulations to the Indian people on your Independence Day! A month ago in Paris, my friend @narendramodi and I set new Indo-French ambitions all the way to 2047, the centenary year of India’s Independence. India can count on France as a trusted friend and partner, always," Macron wrote on 'X', formerly Twitter.

Modi responded by saying, "Thankful for your kind wishes, President @EmmanuelMacron. I fondly recall my visit to Paris and appreciate your passion towards boosting India-France ties."

Prachanda extend warm greetings and best wishes to PM Modi and to the friendly people of India for continued peace, progress and prosperity.

Tshering said he joins his friends from India in celebrating the remarkable journey of their nation today.

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said as India celebrates its Independence Day, the government and people of Maldives join me in conveying our best wishes to President Droupadi Murmu, PM Modi and the people of India. "May India always be blessed with lasting freedom and prosperity". (PTI)

The beating retreat ceremony underway at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab's Amritsar on the occasion of Independence Day

Madhya Pradesh health minister Prabhuram Chaudhary fainted during the Independence Day Parade in Raisen. He was rushed to the district hospital, from where he was referred to a private hospital in Bhopal as the doctors suspected heart attack. Read more

From the East Coast of Australia to the Persian Gulf, the Mission Deployed warships of Indian Navy celebrate the 77th Independence Day with the Nation. The Indian Tricolour was hoisted onboard the indigenously designed and built Guided Missile Destroyer INS Visakhapatnam & the Fleet Tanker INS Deepak at Manama, Bahrain to commemorate the 77th Independence Day

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday took a jibe at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for not attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech at Red Fort and said ‘he must have got direction from the 10, Janpath’ – government residence of former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Read more

Indian Army in the run-up to this year's Independence Day, gifted locals of Danna Village, on LoC in Machhal Sector by dedicating a bridge across Machhal Nala.

The 115 feet long Bridge has been named as Bhagat Bridge in memory of Major Bhagat Singh, Veer Chakra, who laid down his life defending this sector in the 1965 war. Danna Village is also popularly known as Bhagat Village in memory of the brave son of India.

Border Security Force (BSF) distribute sweets to children & celebrated Independence Day at Nadabet border in Gujarat.

Captain Zoya Agarwal, who became the first female commander to fly one of the world’s longest air routes over the North Pole – between San Francisco and Bengaluru – with an all-female flight crew, reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address on Tuesday in which he claimed that India has the maximum number of women pilots in civil aviation. Read more

"The PM's speech today has been very inspiring and reassuring. As we all know, in the last 9 years, India has really grown very well in terms of economy, in terms of our respect in the world as well as social growth. We have seen that infrastructure has grown at the faster pace ever and also the standard of living and quality of life improving is visible all over...The PM very rightly said that this is the time you should leverage the trinity of demography, democracy and diversity and that is India's real advantage," said Nirmal Jain, Founder and Chairman of IIFL Group.

“The PM's speech today underlines the rapid structural transformation the Indian economy has undergone in the last decade. In 2014, India was the 10th largest economy. In 2022, India became the 5th largest economy overtaking the UK. Most likely, in the next couple of years, by 2027, India will become the 3rd largest economy - just after US and China,” said Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, SBI

BJP National President JP Nadda says, "I extend my greetings to everyone on the occasion of Independence Day. PM Modi's speech reflected the roadmap for a developed country till 2047. His speech was an announcement to free the country from corruption & dynasty...The entire country is his (PM Modi) family. He gave a message of reform, perform & transform...."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla says, "Best wishes to all the citizens on Independence Day. This Independence Day under Amrit Kaal is about resolutions, new thoughts, new excitement, and building a new India. I hope that every citizen will fulfil their duty and build the developed India of our dream."

Chang Jae Bok, Ambassador of South Korea to India says, "15th of August is the Independence Day for both India and Korea. So, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to India and the people of India."

He also says, "Since the end of February, 'Naatu Naatu' dance cover by the Korean Embassy was a big hit and viral. Since then many Indians showed interest in Korean culture...but this has not been the phenomenon now. It has been a big phenomenon by the young generation of India for a couple of years..."

PM Modi said the entire world was amazed at the scale of India's vaccination programme. Read here

Russian president Vladimir Putin sends a congratulatory message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "Your country has achieved universally acknowledged success in economic, scientific and technical, social and other fields. India enjoys well-earned respect on the world arena and plays important constructive role in the international affairs", Vladimir Putin said. 

PM Narendra Modi said the world is facing inflation but India has taken several measures to tackle inflation and will continue to do so. PM Modi said, "The world has still not recovered from Corona. The war gave rise to another crisis. Today, the world is facing the crisis of inflation. Inflation has the entire global economy in its clutches...It is unfortunate that when we import goods of our necessity, we also import inflation."

"But, India made all efforts to control inflation...We can't be content just because our situation is better than the rest of the world. I have to take more steps to see that the burden of inflation goes further down on the citizens of my country. We will take those steps and my efforts will continue...," he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "Congratulations to the Indian people on your #IndependenceDay! A month ago in Paris, my friend Narendra Modi and I set new Indo-French ambitions all the way to 2047, the centenary year of India’s Independence. India can count on France as a trusted friend and partner, always."

The government has plans to increase the number of 'Jan Aushadhi Kendras' from 10,000 to 25,000, PM Modi said. Read here

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was not present at the Independence Day event at Red Fort where PM Modi addressed the country on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day. Read more

BJP national president JP Nadda hoists the Tiranga at his residence in Delhi, on 77th Independence Day.