India knows how to use energy responsibly: Prime Minister Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday (Jan 23, 2026) that India is establishing itself as a determined nation and knows how to increase its power, manage and use it responsibly.

Mr Modi was addressing a gathering to celebrate Parakram Diwas, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

He said that a weak nation finds it difficult to achieve its goals and that is why Netaji Bose always dreamed of a strong nation.

“In the 21st century, India is also establishing itself as a powerful and determined nation,” Mr. Modi said while addressing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands program through video conferencing.

He said that during Operation Sindoor, India retaliated by entering the homes of those who inflicted the operation and destroying them. “India today knows how to increase its power, how to act responsibly and how to use its power,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that following Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s vision of a strong India, the government is working towards making the defense sector self-reliant.

“Earlier, India was dependent only on import of weapons from abroad, but today, Indian defense exports have crossed the Rs 23,000 crore mark,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the indigenously built BrahMos and other missiles attracted global attention. “India is modernizing its armed forces with the power of self-reliance,” Mr. Modi said.

He slammed the previous governments for insulting Bose’s legacy by not giving it the recognition it deserved.

“Post-independence, the history of our nation and its achievements were meant to be celebrated and cherished with pride. However, the then government leaders were plagued by uncertainty,” Mr Modi said.

“They tried to give credit for our freedom solely to one family. As a result of this political self-interest, much of the country’s rich history was neglected,” he said.

Mr. Modi stated that after independence, the glorious history of Andaman and Nicobar Islands should have been preserved, but those who came to power at that time brought with them a sense of insecurity.

He noted that they wanted to limit the credit for freedom to just one family, and in this political self-interest, the country’s history was neglected.

Mr Modi said the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were also bound by the identity of colonial rule, with the islands still known by the names of British officers even 70 years after independence.

The Prime Minister said that his government put an end to this injustice of history and hence Port Blair has now become ‘Shri Vijaypuram’, a name that reminds people of Netaji’s victory.

Similarly, other islands were renamed as Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep and Subhash Dweep, he said, adding that by 2023, as many as 21 islands of the Andamans had been named after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.

The Prime Minister said names linked to slavery in Andaman and Nicobar are being erased and the new names of free India will confirm their identity.