PM Modi Chairs 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, Emphasizes Vision of Viksit Bharat @2047

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi. The meeting saw participation from Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors representing 20 States and 6 Union Territories.

In his address, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of cooperation and collective effort between the States and the Centre to achieve the vision of a developed India, Viksit Bharat @2047. He highlighted India’s impressive economic growth over the past decade, noting that the Indian economy has risen from the 10th largest in the world in 2014 to the 5th largest by 2024. He set an ambitious target for India to become the third largest economy globally.

“India has made significant progress in strengthening its social and economic infrastructure,” said Prime Minister Modi. “From being a predominantly import-driven country, we now export a variety of products to the world. Our achievements span across defence, space, start-ups, and sports, reflecting the confidence and enthusiasm of our 140 crore citizens.”

Prime Minister Modi referred to this period as the “decade of change,” filled with opportunities across various sectors. He urged States to leverage these opportunities by adopting innovative policies and governance programmes that drive development. He emphasized that the vision of Viksit Bharat must reach every district, block, and village, urging each State and District to create their own vision for 2047.

He lauded the Aspirational Districts Programme, anchored by NITI Aayog, as a model of success due to its continuous and online monitoring of measurable parameters. This approach, he noted, has fostered healthy competition among districts to enhance their performance in various government schemes.

Prime Minister Modi also stressed the importance of skilling and training youth to make them employment-ready, as the world increasingly looks to India for skilled human resources. He encouraged States to create an investor-friendly environment and directed NITI Aayog to prepare an ‘Investment-friendly Charter’ to attract investments, emphasizing law and order, good governance, and infrastructure over mere incentives.

Furthermore, he advocated for the creation of River Grids at the State level for effective water resource utilization and highlighted the need to target zero poverty. He emphasized addressing poverty at an individual level to bring about a transformative impact on the nation.

In agriculture, Prime Minister Modi encouraged States to increase productivity and diversification, provide market linkages to farmers, and promote natural farming practices to improve soil fertility and ensure better returns. He also urged States to initiate Demographic Management Plans to address future population ageing issues and stressed the importance of capacity building for government officials.

Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors shared various suggestions for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and discussed ongoing initiatives in their States. Key suggestions and best practices were highlighted in agriculture, education and skill development, entrepreneurship, drinking water, governance, digitalisation, women empowerment, and cyber security. Several States also shared their efforts to create a State Vision for 2047.