New Delhi (dpa) - Indian Premier Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed the need to work for the welfare of people in India-administered Kashmir, which remains on lockdown days after his government stripped the Muslim-majority region of its special constitutional autonomy.

In a speech marking India's Independence Day that focused on Kashmir, Modi argued that the special status had only encouraged separatism, terrorism and corruption in the region, and that the move to end its autonomy had unified the country.

"The spirit of one nation, one Constitution has become a reality now. And India is proud of it," Modi said.

His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opposed the special status for the state for decades and had pledged to abolish it as part of the party's recent election manifesto.

The governing party made good on that promise on August 5, when New Delhi revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which had granted the region autonomy except in matters of foreign affairs, defence and communications.

The move divided the erstwhile state into two federally-administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh.

In his speech, Modi also spoke about new initiatives of his government, including huge infrastructure projects intended to double the size of the Indian economy to 5 trillion dollars by 2025.

"The onus of fulfilling hopes and aspirations of people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh falls on us [Indians]," Modi said in New Delhi's historic Red Fort.

"We have to own up the responsibility of giving their dreams new wings. And for this, 1.3 billion Indians have to shoulder that responsibility."

Modi said the region could make an important contribution to India's development. "Let us all make efforts to restore the region to its past glory," he added.

India celebrates Independence Day one day after Pakistan, which was partitioned from India in 1947.

On Wednesday, Pakistan Premier Imran Khan criticized India for the Kashmir move as his country downgraded diplomatic relations, halted bilateral trade and suspended cross-border transport links with India.

The estranged South Asian neighbours have fought three wars since they gained independence from colonial British rule, two of which were over the border region of Kashmir.

New Delhi has repeatedly accused Islamabad of fomenting unrest and militancy in the region. Pakistan denies this and refers to the militants as freedom fighters.

Modi made no mention of the lockdown and communications blackout in the troubled region during his Indepenence Day appeal for welfare in Kashmir.

Domestic media report that as many as 150,000 paramilitary troops and police have been deployed to the Kashmir valley alone, where most inhabitants have been forced to stay indoors for the 11th day.

Kashmiris have also been largely cut off from the outside world as phone and internet services have been suspended. Top Kashmiri politicians and separatist leaders have also been placed under arrest.

Despite the crackdown, there have been a few protests in the main city of Srinagar, where some people suffered shotgun-pellet injuries, police said.

Modi's speech on Thursday covered economic and social issues while also including some important announcements. For the first time since independence, India will have a chief of defence staff, who will be the head all three of India's armed forces.

He also called for a day of events to reduce single-use plastic on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

India - the second-most populous country after China - faces the huge challenge of "population explosion," Modi said, as he called for state and federal governments to launch measures to keep rapid population growth in check.