India, Aug. 13 -- As India prepares to celebrate Independence Day, Hindustan Times continues its special series revisiting some of the most iconic Independence Day speeches delivered by the country's Prime Ministers. In the ninth episode, we revisit Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao's Independence Day address from the Red Fort in 1995.

The defining theme of Rao's 1995 speech was India's economic transformation and the need to ensure that the benefits of economic reforms reached ordinary citizens. Delivered four years after the launch of the landmark economic liberalisation programme, the address reflected Rao's vision of a more modern, self-reliant and globally competitive India.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission...