Speaking from the Red Fort during the 80th Independence Day celebrations, Modi said India’s heavy dependence on imported crude oil was partly linked to the limited exploration of its own offshore resources.
Published: August 15, 2026, 8:54 AM IST
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In this screengrab from a video posted on Aug15, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation during the 8oth Independence Day celebrations, at Red Fort, in New Delhi(@narendramodi/YT via PTI Photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India needs to strengthen its energy security as the country’s electricity demand is expected to rise sharply in the coming yearsSpeaking at the Red Fort during the 80th Independence Day celebrations, Modi said new technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and data centres require a large and steady supply of power“Today, it is difficult to run the new world without energyWhether it is chips, AI or data centres, we need enormous amounts of electricityEnergy security is the need of the hour,” the Prime Minister said.
He said India cannot depend only on traditional sources of energy and needs to expand its nuclear power capacity to meet future requirementsThe Prime Minister announced that five new nuclear reactors are planned to start functioning within the next decadeHe said the government has already set a target for these reactors to become operational during the current decade.
“Energy security is the demand of the timeWith the SHANTI Act passed in Parliament, we have created the framework to achieve our goalOur goal is to achieve 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacityWe aim to start five new nuclear reactors in this decade,” the PM said.
Modi also set a bigger goal for India’s nuclear energy sectorHe said the country aims to increase its nuclear power capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047.
According to the Prime Minister, nuclear energy will play an important role in helping India become more self-reliant in meeting its growing electricity needs.
He pointed out that the rapid growth of technologies such as AI, chip manufacturing and large data centres is creating a much higher demand for electricity“Energy security is the need of the hour,” Modi said, stressing that India needs reliable power supplies to support its future economic and technological growth.
The government has been working to expand nuclear power as part of its wider plan to improve energy securityNuclear energy is also being promoted as a dependable source of electricity with relatively low carbon emissions.
The announcement of five new reactors is part of this larger push to increase nuclear power generation and reduce the country’s dependence on conventional energy sources.
Modi announces major change in exploring oil and gas resources
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a major change in India’s approach to exploring oil and gas resources under the sea.
Speaking from the Red Fort during the 80th Independence Day celebrations, Modi said India’s heavy dependence on imported crude oil was partly linked to the limited exploration of its own offshore resources.
He said a large part of India’s offshore region had earlier been kept out of explorationAccording to Modi, nearly 99 per cent of these areas were classified as “no-go” zones.
The Prime Minister said the government has now opened up these areas for explorationHe described the move as a shift from keeping offshore regions restricted to actively searching for domestic energy resources.
Modi said India had for years avoided large-scale exploration beneath the sea, but the government had decided that this approach needed to change.
He said the country is now working to explore offshore areas and identify new oil and gas reserves.
The move is aimed at strengthening India’s energy security and reducing its dependence on imported crude oilIndia imports a large share of the oil it consumes, making domestic exploration an important part of efforts to improve energy independence.
Modi said the government would continue looking for new sources of energy within the country as India works towards meeting its growing energy needs.
