75-minute address among Modi’s shortest I-Day speeches

Becoming only the second Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to hoist the national flag at the Red Fort for 13 consecutive years, Narendra Modi’s address to the nation from the Red Fort on Saturday was the shortest, lasting 75 minutes. Statistically speaking, it was the shortest in four years and the fourth shortest of his 13 consecutive appearances at the historic ramparts. Moreover, PM has spoken for 18 hours and 38 minutes in Independence Day addresses from the Red Fort over 13 years.

His shortest Independence Day speech was 56 minutes in 2017. The 2026 address was significantly shorter than his 103-minute speech last year, which is the longest of his tenure, and surpassed his previous record of 98 minutes in 2024.

The 2026 address was significantly shorter than his 103-minute speech last year, which is the longest of his tenure, and surpassed his previous record of 98 minutes in 2024.

The Prime Minister’s 2026 address was also considerably longer than his shortest-ever speech. In 2017, Modi spoke for 56 minutes. His first Independence Day address in 2014 lasted 65 minutes.

Over the years, the Prime Minister’s speeches have ranged from under an hour to more than 100 minutes. He spoke for 88 minutes in 2015 and 96 minutes in 2016, followed by 83 minutes in 2018 and nearly 92 minutes in 2019. The address lasted 90 minutes in 2020, 88 minutes in 2021, 74 minutes in 2022 and 90 minutes in 2023. The 75-minute speech came as PM Modi delivered his 13th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort. Last year, he overtook Indira Gandhi’s record of 12 consecutive speeches, moving behind only Jawaharlal Nehru, who delivered 17 such addresses in succession.

Nehru’s 1947 Independence Day speech lasted 72 minutes, while IK Gujral spoke for 71 minutes in 1997. Among the shortest addresses, Nehru and Indira Gandhi each spoke for 14 minutes in 1954 and 1966, respectively. Manmohan Singh’s 2012 and 2013 speeches lasted 32 and 35 minutes, while Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke for 25 minutes in 2002 and 30 minutes in 2003.

Given the rather hot and humid conditions even in the early morning, Modi could be seen taking a sip of water a few times during his address to the nation.

He also maintained his practice of mixing with people after his speech, making it rather tough for his security team. Nonetheless, like last year, Modi shook hands with young attendees at the venue and spent considerable time with them. Many of them were also seen taking photos of the Prime Minister up close on their mobiles. The Prime Minister also goes up to the people after the Republic Day ends at the Kartavaya Path.