New Delhi, Aug. 17 -- Successive prime ministers of India have used their Independence Day speech to outline the successes of their respective governments and lay out challenges.

In the case of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his speeches have not only featured important policy announcements, like the Swachh Bharat Mission launched by his first speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2014, but also his government's vision for the economy and plans to realize it.

His address on Saturday had all those elements. Modi unveiled a seven-point agenda to speed up India's efforts to become a developed country, or Viksit Bharat, by 2047.

The "sapta dhaara"-or seven streams-he named to achieve that goal are apparently inspired by the "sapta Sin...