President of India, Droupadi Murmu, delivered her address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day 2026. The speech highlighted India’s achievements, unity, and progress while inspiring citizens ahead of the 77th Republic Day celebrations with key messages focused on development, democracy, and national pride.
In her address, President Murmu outlined India’s position as a “messenger” of peace while reinforcing ancient civilisational commitment to universal harmony.“In our tradition, we have been offering prayers for peace to prevail in the entire universe. The future of humanity can remain secure only if there is peace in the whole world.“In an atmosphere marked by conflicts in many parts of the world, India is spreading the message of peace,” she said.
During her speech, the President also underscored a firm commitment to national security by highlighting the recent success of Operation Sindoor, a precision strike that dismantled terror infrastructure across the border.“Last year, our country launched precision strikes against terror infrastructure…terror centres were destroyed, and many terrorists met their end,” she said, highlighting country’s “self-reliance” in the field of defence that powered the historic success of Operation Sindoor.
Highlighting India’s digital payments ecosystem, the President noted that the country now accounts for more than half of global digital transactions, demonstrating how widespread public adoption can accelerate transformative change. Emphasising that the vision of a Viksit Bharat is a shared national responsibility, Murmu urged citizens to actively contribute to achieving other development goals through similar collective participation.Amid a global tariff war and continued threats of sanctions from US President Donald Trump, President Droupadi Murmu also underscored India’s status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy and said its “economic destiny” is being shaped by self-reliance.
In her speech, the President underlined the importance of self-reliance and domestic production in such circumstances. “By investing in the creation of world-class infrastructure, we are rebuilding our economic strength at a much larger scale. In this journey of shaping our economic destiny, atma-nirbharta and swadeshi are our guiding principles,” she said.
A significant part of the President’s address focused on the role of women in India’s progress. “The path-breaking and talented women of our country are setting new benchmarks in many fields,” Murmu said, citing achievements of the women’s cricket team, self-help groups, and women’s participation in sectors ranging from agriculture and space to the armed forces.
Calling Republic Day a national festival, she spoke about the country’s journey towards “constitutional ideals”. “Our Constitution is the foundational document of the largest republic in world history. The ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution define our Republic. She pointed out that the theme for this year’s Republic Day parade marks 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram. “This song, which is a prayer to the divine form of Bharat Mata, instils patriotism in every Indian,” Murmu said, while describing it as “our lyrical national prayer”.
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