Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi, where he outlined an ambitious roadmap for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. The meeting, themed "Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047", witnessed participation from Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators representing 28 states and five Union Territories. Notably, this was the first Governing Council meeting in which Chief Ministers from all 28 states participated, marking a major milestone in India's cooperative federalism framework.
India's growth story continues to inspire the world
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said India continues to stand out as a bright spot in the global economy at a time when several major economies are facing uncertainty and economic challenges.
He stressed the need to strengthen India's commitment to self-reliance while simultaneously learning from global best practices, particularly in sectors such as renewable energy. The Prime Minister emphasised that the journey towards becoming a developed nation can only succeed through close cooperation between the Centre and states.
According to Modi, the vision of Viksit Bharat should not remain limited to governments alone but must become the collective aspiration of every state, district, block and village across the country.
Focus on youth as India's biggest strength
Highlighting India's demographic advantage, the Prime Minister noted that nearly 70 crore Indians are below the age of 25, describing the country's young population as its greatest asset. He urged states to transform this demographic dividend into a development dividend through quality education, skill development and capacity-building programmes that can prepare the youth for future opportunities.
Prime Minister Modi also encouraged states to help young entrepreneurs and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) take advantage of India's recently signed trade agreements with various countries. He called upon state governments to actively attract investments from these partner nations.
Women-led development remains a key priority
Reiterating the government's commitment to women-led development, PM Modi urged states to work towards increasing the number of Lakhpati Didis from three crore to six crore. He also emphasised the importance of creating a safe and secure environment for women, saying that empowering women economically and socially will play a vital role in India's development journey.
Push for ODOP, defence manufacturing and AI
The Prime Minister asked states to strengthen One District One Product (ODOP) initiatives and develop export-oriented strategies around local products. He also identified defence manufacturing as a rapidly emerging sector where India is creating a distinct global identity. States were encouraged to formulate policies that can attract investments and generate employment opportunities in this sector.
PM Modi further highlighted the growing importance of artificial intelligence and data centres. He urged states to treat AI as an opportunity rather than a challenge and invest in future-ready skills to prepare their workforce for the changing economy.
Water conservation and sustainable farming highlighted
Drawing attention to concerns linked to El Nino conditions, the Prime Minister appealed to states to intensify water conservation efforts and promote natural and organic farming practices.
He pointed out that farmers purchasing around 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure during the current Kharif season reflected increasing confidence in sustainable agricultural practices. The Prime Minister also proposed identifying 100 districts in the agriculture sector using the aspirational district model to accelerate growth and improve outcomes through focused interventions.
100-day targets and long-term monitoring framework
A key highlight of the meeting was PM Modi's emphasis on setting measurable development goals. He called for a robust monitoring framework with clearly defined 100-day targets as well as long-term five-year goals to ensure steady progress towards the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The Prime Minister stressed that transparency, good governance, ease of doing business and modern infrastructure remain crucial for attracting investments and generating economic growth.
States back Centre's development vision
Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators congratulated Prime Minister Modi on completing 12 years in office and expressed support for the Centre's efforts to navigate global geopolitical challenges. They also discussed strategies to strengthen India's energy security, maintain economic resilience and sustain the country's growth momentum amid changing global conditions.
Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister described the discussions as constructive and reflective of the aspirations, experiences and challenges of different states. He expressed confidence that collective efforts, innovation and cooperation would accelerate India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
