NEW DELHI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- India celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Friday, the highlight of which was a customary speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi referred to several issues, including safety and security of the country, welfare of farmers, tax reforms benefiting the public at large, indigenous semiconductor production, and a monetary incentive to first-time private-sector job seekers.
This was Modi's 12th consecutive Independence Day speech, which lasted for nearly one hour and 43 minutes.
Modi announced that his federal government would revise the Goods and Services Tax structure by reducing tax rates on essential goods and streamlining tax slabs to benefit households and small businesses.
He also said that domestically-manufactured semiconductor chips were expected to enter the market before the end of this year, thus supporting India's electronics manufacturing and reducing its dependence on imports. ■
