1. Empowering Youth for Viksit Bharat
Youth form the backbone of India’s future, with 65% of the population under the age of 35. The session, led by Sh. Ronnie Screwvala and Sh. Anand Kumar, focused on strategies to harness this demographic dividend. Discussions highlighted initiatives like the Skill India Mission, which has trained over 50 million youth since 2015, and the Digital India Program, empowering over 5 crore rural citizens through digital literacy. The need to bridge the gap between education and employment was emphasized, with India needing to create 10 million jobs annually to sustain growth.
2. Empowering Women and Enhancing Social Indicators
India’s Nari Shakti is driving social and economic transformation. The session, guided by Smt. Raksha Khadse, Smt. Kalpana Saroj, and Smt. Chhavi Rajawat, showcased schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, which improved the sex ratio at birth from 918 in 2014 to 931 in 2022. Women-led self-help groups under the National Rural Livelihood Mission have mobilized over ₹12 lakh crore in microfinance. These programs were linked to India’s improved ranking in the Gender Gap Index 2023, where it moved up five positions.
3. Tech for Viksit Bharat
Technology is the cornerstone of India’s journey toward a $5 trillion economy. Shri Pratyush Kumar highlighted how initiatives like India Stack (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker) have transformed governance and financial inclusion, enabling over 8 billion UPI transactions monthly. AI-driven projects like the National AI Portal and investments in emerging technologies, which are expected to contribute $1 trillion to GDP by 2030, were also discussed.
4. Advancing India as a Global Manufacturing Powerhouse
India’s share in global manufacturing increased from 2% in 1990 to nearly 3.5% in 2023. Experts Dr. Pawan Goenka and Shri Aniket Deb emphasized policies like Make in India, which helped increase FDI inflows to $83.5 billion in 2021-22. India is now the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer globally, producing over 300 million units annually. The panel also underscored the importance of green manufacturing and the government’s focus on achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
5. Making India the Startup Capital of the World
India is home to over 108 unicorns, with a combined valuation of $340 billion, making it the third-largest startup ecosystem globally. Entrepreneurs Mr. Ritesh Agarwal and Mr. Nitin Saluja discussed the role of flagship programs like Startup India, which has supported over 100,000 startups. Key focus areas included easing compliance through the Startup India Hub and facilitating funding via the Fund of Funds for Startups, which has disbursed ₹6,000 crore since 2016.
6. Making India a Sporting and Fit Nation
India’s sports industry is expected to grow to ₹15,000 crore by 2025. Former footballer Shri Bhaichung Bhutia and entrepreneur Shri Suhail Narain highlighted initiatives like Khelo India, which has benefited over 50,000 athletes, and the Fit India Movement, which has reached over 50 crore citizens. The panel emphasized the need for robust grassroots sports programs and infrastructure investments, with India targeting 25 Olympic medals by 2032.
7. Enhancing Productivity in Agriculture
India is the world’s largest producer of milk, pulses, and spices. Experts Shri Ashish Mishra and Dr. Sarita Ahlawat highlighted how transformative technologies like precision farming and drone applications under the Digital Agriculture Mission have the potential to boost productivity by 15-20%. The PM-KISAN scheme, which has provided ₹2.4 lakh crore to 11.6 crore farmers, and the growing adoption of organic farming, now practiced on 2.78 million hectares, were key focal points.
8. Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi
India’s cultural heritage is a global treasure, contributing over $44 billion to the economy via tourism annually. Thought leaders Palki Sharma and Romalo Ram Dogri discussed how preserving intangible heritage, like 13 UNESCO-recognized traditional art forms, can coexist with development. Efforts like the National Digital Cultural Heritage Mission, which has digitized 25 lakh artifacts, were highlighted as examples of blending progress with tradition.
9. Steering India Towards a Sustainable Future
India is the third-largest renewable energy producer, with a capacity of 174 GW as of 2023. Environmentalists Mr. OP Choudhary and Mr. Malhar Kalambe discussed flagship programs like the National Hydrogen Mission, aiming to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. The Namami Gange Mission, which has rejuvenated over 41,000 km of rivers, was presented as a model for sustainable development.
10. Building the Infrastructure for the Future
Infrastructure investment is key to India’s economic aspirations. Amitabh Kant and Dr. S. Somnath emphasized how projects like Bharatmala (83,677 km of roads) and Sagarmala (577 port projects) are transforming connectivity. The success of Udaan, providing air connectivity to 400 underserved regions, and the $1.4 trillion National Infrastructure Pipeline were showcased as pivotal for achieving Viksit Bharat.
