At the Bharat Mandapam in the nation’s capital on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over an important NITI Aayog meeting.

In retaliation for the recent horrifying Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Armed Forces successfully completed Operation Sindoor earlier this month, demolishing nine terrorist camps and training facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. This is the first significant meeting between the Prime Minister and the chief ministers of all states.

The Prime Minister’s commitment to working with all states as “Team India” to achieve the aim of a developed Bharat is emphasized by the meeting, according to a statement from NITI Aayog.

“As India progresses towards becoming a developed country, it is essential that states leverage their unique strengths and drive transformative changes at the grassroots, ensuring that the aspirations of 140 crore citizens translate into tangible outcomes on the ground,” said the statement.

The purpose of the conference, which has as its subject “Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047,” is to promote cooperative federalism and match state-level ambitions with the national objective of transforming India into a developed nation by the 100th anniversary of its independence.

The main topic of discussion will be how to empower states to create ambitious, inclusive, long-term vision papers that are grounded in local realities while still being in line with national aspirations.

With a focus on data-driven and outcome-based policies, states are required to prioritize human development, economic growth, sustainability, technology, and governance changes. Accountability and course correction will be supported by institutional mechanisms such as Project Monitoring Units, Monitoring and Evaluation Cells, and ICT-enabled infrastructure.

The Center and States/Union Territories (UTs) discuss development issues and consider how states might function as the foundation of a Viksit Bharat at the Governing Council meeting.

We’ll also talk about issues like fostering entrepreneurship, improving skills, and creating long-term jobs.

Building agreement on the subjects of the fourth National Conference of Chief Secretaries, which will take place from December 13 to 15, 2024, is another goal of the gathering.

‘Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment and Skilling—Leveraging the Demographic Dividend’ was the overall subject of the conference, which included suggestions from chief secretaries of states and UTs as well as secretaries of the Union government.

The meeting yielded six major theme areas:

1. establishing a manufacturing-friendly environment in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities;

2. establishing a service-enabling environment in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities;

3. MSME and informal work in non-farm rural areas;

4. MSME and unorganized work in cities;

5. Renewable energy opportunities in the green economy; and

6. Green economy prospects via circular economy projects.

According to a senior government official, the current economic issues and plans from Budget 2025-26 are also expected to be discussed.

According to the official, the Indian economy is predicted to develop between 6.2% and 6.7% in the current fiscal year, despite obstacles like US retaliatory tariffs and worldwide slowdowns.

India’s GDP forecasts for 2025–2026 have been lowered by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to 6.2% and 6.3%, respectively, due to trade tensions and global uncertainty.

All Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of UTs, and a number of Union Ministers are members of the Governing Council, which is NITI Aayog’s highest decision-making body.

The conference will be presided over by PM Modi, who has served as the body’s chair since its founding.

Interestingly, ten states and UTs did not attend the July 27 meeting last year.

In order to direct India’s progress toward becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047, NITI Aayog is now creating a unified vision paper.

The paper, which was tasked with including 10 sectors theme visions in 2023, would include governance, social development, economic growth, and sustainability as important foundations.