79th Independence Day: PM Modi to lead celebrations from iconic Red Fort

NEW DELHI: The Nation will celebrate the 79th Independence Day on August 15, 2025, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the celebrations from the iconic Red Fort in Delhi.

The Prime Minister will unfurl the National Flag and address the nation from the ramparts of the iconic monument, said a statement from the Ministry of Defence.

As the nation is making giant strides towards realising the Government’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the theme of this year’s celebrations is ‘Naya Bharat’. The celebrations will serve as a platform to commemorate the continuing rise of a prosperous, secure and bold Naya Bharat and provide renewed power to surge further ahead on the path to progress.

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, to the Prime Minister.

The GoC, Delhi Area, will then conduct PM Narendra Modi to the Saluting Base, where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.

The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister will consist of 96 personnel (one officer & 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force & Delhi Police. The Indian Air Force is the coordinating service for the Independence Day celebrations this year.

The Guard of Honour will be commanded by Wing Commander AS Sekhon. The Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard will be commanded by Major Arjun Singh, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Komaldeep Singh and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Rajan Arora. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Rohit Rajbir Singh.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh will greet him. The GoC, Delhi area, will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to hoist the National Flag.

Flying Officer Rashika Sharma will assist the Prime Minister in hoisting the National Flag. It will be synchronised with the 21-Gun Salute by the valiant gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery, utilising the indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns, will be commanded by Major Pawan Singh Shekhawat, and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (Assistant Instructor in Gunnery) Anuthosh Sarkar.

The National Flag Guard, comprising one officer and 32 Other Ranks each from the Army, Navy & Air Force and Delhi Police, totalling 128 personnel, will present the Rashtriya Salute at the time of hoisting of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Wing Commander Tarun Dagar will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.

The Army Contingent in the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Major Prakash Singh, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Mohd Parvej and the Air Force Contingent by Squadron Leader VV Sharvan. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Abhimanyu Poswal.

After being hoisted, the Tricolour will receive a ‘Rashtriya Salute’. The Air Force band, consisting of one JCO and 25 Other Ranks, will play the National Anthem during the hoisting of the National Flag and presenting the ‘Rashtriya Salute’. Junior Warrant Officer M Deka will conduct the Band. For the first time, 11 Agniveer Vayu musicians will be part of the band which will be playing the National Anthem.

As soon as the National Flag is hoisted by the Prime Minister, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force – one trooping the national flag and the other trooping a flag depicting ‘Operation Sindoor’. The captains of the helicopters will be Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal.

The success of Operation Sindoor will be celebrated during the Independence Day Celebrations this year. The view cutter at Gyanpath will have the Operation Sindoor logo. Floral decoration will also be based on the operation.

Invitation cards also carry the Operation Sindoor logo. Invitation cards also carry the watermark of the Chenab Bridge, depicting the rise of ‘Naya Bharat’.

After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the Nation. At the conclusion of his speech, the cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and ‘My Bharat’ volunteers will sing the National Anthem. A total of 2,500 boy & girl cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) and ‘My Bharat’ volunteers will participate in the celebrations. These cadets & ‘My Bharat’ volunteers will be seated on Gyanpath, opposite the Rampart. They will be forming the ‘Naya Bharat’ logo.

Approx. 5,000 Special Guests from different walks of life have been invited to witness the celebrations at the Red Fort this year. Over 1,500 people from various States/Union Territories dressed in traditional attire have also been invited to witness the grand ceremony.

To promote patriotic fervour among citizens and to celebrate the victory of Operation Sindoor, a number of band performances will be conducted pan-India for the first time on the evening of Independence Day celebrations. The performances will be conducted by the bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, BSF, IDS, RPF and Assam Rifles at over 140 prominent locations throughout the country. (ANI)