On August 15, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a historic Independence Day address from the Red Fort, speaking for an unprecedented 103 minutes — the longest speech ever by an Indian prime minister on this occasion. This milestone surpassed his own record of 98 minutes set during the 78th Independence Day celebrations in 2024.
Before this, Mr. Modi’s longest speech was in 2016 at 96 minutes, while his briefest came in 2017, when he addressed the nation for just 56 minutes. This year’s speech also marked another record: his 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort, a streak second only to Jawaharlal Nehru, who spoke for 17 years in a row from the same historic location. By achieving this, Mr. Modi surpassed the record of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who delivered 11 consecutive addresses.
Since taking office in 2014, Mr. Modi’s speeches have varied in length. His debut Independence Day address lasted 65 minutes, followed by 88 minutes in 2015. In 2018, he spoke for 83 minutes, and in 2019, for nearly 92 minutes. The 2020 speech lasted 90 minutes, 2021 came in at 88 minutes, and in 2022, he kept it to 74 minutes. The 2023 address once again stretched to 90 minutes before this year’s record-breaking delivery.
Historically, some of India’s earlier leaders have also been known for lengthy speeches. In 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered a 72-minute address, and in 1997, Prime Minister I.K. Gujral spoke for 71 minutes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nehru in 1954 and Indira Gandhi in 1966 each delivered the shortest Independence Day speeches at just 14 minutes.
Several prime ministers have preferred brevity in their Red Fort addresses. Manmohan Singh, for instance, spoke for only 32 minutes in 2012 and 35 minutes in 2013. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s speeches in 2002 and 2003 lasted a mere 25 and 30 minutes, respectively.
With his latest speech, Prime Minister Modi has not only cemented his place in India’s political history for longevity in office and consistency in messaging, but also for sheer endurance at the podium. This year’s marathon address has become another defining moment in his tenure, blending political tradition with personal record-breaking achievement.
