 Independence Day , observed annually on 15 August is a national holiday in India commemorating the nation 's independence from the British Empire on 15 August 1947 . India attained independence following an Independence Movement noted for largely nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress ( <unk> ) . Independence coincided with the partition of India , in which the British Indian Empire was divided along religious lines into the <unk> of India and Pakistan ; the partition was accompanied by violent riots and mass casualties , and the displacement of nearly 15 million people due to sectarian violence . On 15 August 1947 , Jawaharlal Nehru , who had become the first Prime Minister of India that day , raised the Indian national flag above the <unk> Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi . On each subsequent Independence Day , the prime minister has raised the flag and given a speech . 
