India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced tax cuts, pledged policy reform and urged the citizens to design and produce high quality goods at home, in a sweeping Independence Day speech that blasted rising “economic selfishness” in the world.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to build a “self-reliant India” and announced tax and regulatory reforms to benefit businesspeople and the middle class in his first major speech since the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on the country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the country on Friday to move towards more self-reliance, manufacture everything from fertilisers to jet engines and EV batteries, and vowed to protect farmers in the face of a trade conflict with Washington.