Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15, 2026, highlighted the unprecedented expansion of India's social security coverage from 25 crore people before 2014 to 100 crore people within a decade. This represents a quadrupling of coverage and demonstrates the government's focus on ensuring development reaches the last person in the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
The Prime Minister specifically cited the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provides free treatment up to ₹5 lakh for elderly persons above 70 years of age. On employment and entrepreneurship, he noted that the Startup India initiative has enabled the growth of more than 2.5 lakh registered startups, with young entrepreneurs creating opportunities for themselves and generating employment for others.
Key initiatives driving employment generation include the ₹1 lakh crore Innovation Fund, Skill India, Digital India, and sectoral reforms in space and aviation including the National Drone Policy. The expansion of airports, new air routes, aircraft manufacturing, maintenance and overhauling activities are generating employment for skilled workers, contributing to new avenues of employment and entrepreneurship for youth over the past decade.