PM Modi Highlights Women as Key Drivers of India’s Growth

quick Summary

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address (August 15, 2025), emphasized the pivotal role of women in India’s progress and economy.
• He highlighted women’s achievements across sectors such as start-ups, space exploration, sports, and defense.
• Modi praised the graduation of the first batch of women cadets from the National Defence Academy (NDA), calling it a “historic moment.”
• The transformative impact of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) was acknowledged under initiatives like ‘NaMo drone Didi.’ He stated that two crore women have become ‘Lakhpati Didis’ – earning an annual income of ₹1 lakh or more through SHGs.
• The Lakhpati Didi Yojana is an initiative by the Ministry of Rural development aimed at empowering rural women financially. Some beneficiaries attended the event at Red Fort.
• Modi paid tribute to early women leaders who influenced India’s Constitution, notably Hansa Mehta and Dakshayani Velayudhan.

Indian Opinion Analysis

Prime Minister Modi’s emphasis on women as “drivers” rather then just “beneficiaries” marks an important rhetorical shift towards recognizing their agency within India’s growth story. The successes in diverse fields-defense to entrepreneurship-illustrate significant progress but also underscore systemic advancements required for enduring gender inclusion beyond symbolic milestones like NDA graduations.

The highlighting of Self Help Groups (SHGs) via schemes such as NaMo Drone Didi and Lakhpati didi Yojana reflects pragmatic policy measures aimed at grassroots empowerment. Though, achieving equitability demands expanding avenues for rural women’s financial independence further while addressing socio-cultural barriers that frequently enough limit their scope for participation.

paying homage to constitutional pioneers like Hansa Mehta affirms recognition of enduring contributions made by early female leaders but subtly invites reflection on contemporary gender depiction gaps within India’s political ecosystem.

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