Calling Independence Day “a festival of 140 crore resolutions,” PM Modi emphasised self-reliance as the cornerstone of India’s economic plan, promising energy independence and industrial capacity-building even as the country faces trade tensions with the United States. “Atmanirbhar Bharat is the foundation of Viksit Bharat,” he told me. “Self-reliance is exactly proportional to our capacity. To stay competent, we must maintain our Atmanirbhar identity. Inspired by Lord Krishna’s mythical sword, he envisioned the Sudarshan Chakra as a new defensive mechanism “to neutralise the enemy target while also hitting back in a stronger way.”
