Nehru delivered 17 consecutive Independence Day speeches, while Indira Gandhi addressed the nation on August 15 a total of 16 times, including 11 consecutive years. Modi’s eleventh address will also surpass the ten speeches given by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Since his inaugural speech in 2014, where he introduced major initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission and Jan Dhan Yojana, Modi’s addresses have become a key platform for announcing new policies and reflecting on national progress. His speeches are known for their length, averaging 82 minutes—longest in Indian history. They have ranged from 55 minutes in 2017 to a lengthy 94 minutes in 2016. For context, I.K. Gujral’s sole speech in 1997 was 71 minutes long, and Nehru’s first address in 1947 lasted 24 minutes. The longest speech before Modi was Indira Gandhi’s 54-minute address in 1972.
