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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 5 PM, likely to touch upon the new tax measures.
PM Narendra Modi (Image: PTI/file photo)
PM Modi Address Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation today at 5 PM.
However, there has been no official confirmation regarding the subject of his evening address, leaving citizens and markets speculating about what announcements might be made.
“PM Narendra Modi will be addressing the nation at 5 PM this evening,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a post on X.
The timing of the address has sparked speculation, as it comes on the eve of Navratri and a day before the rollout of GST 2.0 reforms, suggesting the Prime Minister may touch upon the new tax measures. He is also expected to link the reform to his broader vision of economic ‘atmanirbharta’.
Earlier on Friday, PM Modi described the latest GST reforms as more than mere technical tweaks. He called them bold measures designed to enhance the ease of living, ease of doing business and ease of investing in India.
In a post on X, he said, “By lowering rates on everyday foods and packaging, these reforms make groceries more affordable, boost MSMEs, support farmers and enhance India’s global food competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, the BJP has announced to observe a seven-day-long ‘GST Savings Festival’ from Monday, with the party leadership asking all its MPs to visit their constituencies and create a festive atmosphere.
Each BJP MP and its party workers, will conduct a padyatra (foot march) at one marketplace daily in the morning and evening till September 29. The MPs will visit every shop, meet shopkeepers, and present them with flowers. All MPs will get placards made with the slogan, ‘Say with pride, this is swadeshi’ and distribute them to shopkeepers, who will display them in their shops.
GST Rationalisation
The GST Council, in its 56th meeting earlier this month, announced a major overhaul in the indirect taxation system, aimed at simplifying the slabs, boosting the consumption and rationalizing the rates.
A new two-tier structure of 5% and 18%, with a demerit rate of 40% reserved for super luxury and sin goods, will come into effect from tomorrow (September 22). The Council, comprising the Union and state governments, unanimously endorsed the reforms.
Consumers will see essential items becoming cheaper from September 22, as several sectors from FMCG to Auto have announced earlier to pass on the benefits of lower GST to them. This is likely to boost consumption during the festive season.
Among the items that will become cheaper due to the GST 2.0 reforms are kitchen staples such as ghee, ketchup, coffee and paneer, electronic appliances and medicines.
PM Modi’s Earlier Addresses
PM Modi has in the past taken to addressing the nation to make major announcements, like demonetisation in 2016 or India’s successful test of Anti-Satellite Missile to join an elite club of countries in 2019.
The Prime Minister last addressed the nation on May 12, 2025, when he spoke about Operation Sindoor, India’s counterstrike following the terror attack in Pahalgam.
He also directly reached out to people following the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 through such addresses, informing them on lockdowns, offering them suggestions or highlighting the government’s measures to combat one of the most severe health crises to have hit the country and the world.
Since assuming office in 2014, these have been among the Prime Minister’s most closely watched moments of communication with the country
(With inputs from agencies)
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
September 21, 2025, 15:53 IST
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