Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, stressing the importance of cooperative federalism, self-reliance, and inclusive human development as key pillars for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
The meeting, held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi, was attended by Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators representing 28 States and five Union Territories. Significantly, it marked the first occasion when Chief Ministers of all 28 States participated in a NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting.
The theme of this year’s meeting was “Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047.” Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that while several major economies around the world continue to face uncertainty and economic challenges, India’s growth story remains a source of inspiration globally.
In a post on X after the meeting, the Prime Minister said discussions covered a wide range of issues, including self-reliance, adoption of global best practices, and strengthening the reform process. He reiterated the Centre’s commitment to cooperative federalism, underlining that States play a crucial role in advancing the nation’s development agenda.
According to NITI Aayog, the Prime Minister called for greater efforts to strengthen India’s resolve towards self-reliance and urged States to adopt and implement global best practices, particularly in emerging sectors such as renewable energy.
Highlighting the importance of Centre-State collaboration, Modi said the goal of a developed India can only be achieved when every State, district, block and village embraces the vision of Viksit Bharat as a collective mission.
Referring to India’s demographic advantage, the Prime Minister noted that nearly 70 crore Indians are below the age of 25, describing the country’s youth population as its greatest asset. He urged States to transform this demographic dividend into a development dividend through investments in education, skill development and capacity building.
The Prime Minister also referred to India’s recent trade agreements with several countries and encouraged States to create opportunities for youth and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to benefit from these partnerships. He urged States to actively attract investments from partner nations and strengthen export-oriented growth strategies.
Emphasising women-led development, Modi called upon States to work towards increasing the number of Lakhpati Didis from three crore to six crore and stressed the need to ensure a safe and secure environment for women across the country.
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The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and encouraged States to formulate district-specific export strategies. He pointed out that defence manufacturing is emerging as a major growth sector and urged States to develop policies that can leverage opportunities arising from India’s expanding defence industry.
Addressing emerging social concerns, Modi stressed the need for coordinated efforts to tackle challenges such as drug abuse and cyber fraud through awareness campaigns, preventive measures and effective governance mechanisms.
Drawing attention to the possible impact of El Niño conditions, the Prime Minister appealed to States to promote water conservation and encourage natural and organic farming practices. He observed that farmers had purchased nearly 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure during the current Kharif season, indicating growing confidence in sustainable agricultural practices.
Prime Minister also underscored the need for district-level monitoring of developmental indicators, particularly through the Aspirational Districts Programme. He suggested identifying 100 districts with high agricultural potential and adopting a similar aspirational approach to bring transformative changes in the sector.
Further, Modi called for a robust monitoring framework with clearly defined 100-day and five-year goals to accelerate progress towards the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Highlighting the role of good governance, transparency and infrastructure in attracting investment, he urged States to focus on ease of doing business, branding and investment promotion. He also encouraged States to tap opportunities in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and data centres, stating that AI should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
The Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators present at the meeting congratulated Prime Minister Modi on completing 12 years in office and expressed solidarity with the Centre in addressing global geopolitical challenges, ensuring energy security and sustaining India’s economic growth trajectory.
Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Modi described the discussions as constructive and reflective of the aspirations, experiences and challenges of various States. He thanked all participants for their contributions and expressed confidence that through cooperation, innovation and a shared commitment to development, India would accelerate its journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047
