PM Modi meets leading economists on Aatmanirbharta, structural reforms for Viksit Bharat

The discussion marked an important step in shaping India’s long-term developmental trajectory leading up to 2047, the centenary of independence.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today interacted with a distinguished group of economists and experts at NITI Aayog, focusing on the theme “Aatmanirbharta and Structural Transformation: Agenda for Viksit Bharat.” The discussion marked an important step in shaping India’s long-term developmental trajectory leading up to 2047, the centenary of independence.

Viksit Bharat as a Mass Aspiration

Prime Minister Modi said that Viksit Bharat, once viewed primarily as a policy objective, has now evolved into a collective national aspiration, embraced by citizens across age groups and regions. This transformation, he noted, is evident in shifting patterns of education, rising consumption, technological adoption and growing global mobility among Indians.

With aspirations rising faster than ever, he underscored the importance of enhancing institutional capacity and ensuring proactive infrastructure planning, so that India can adequately meet the demands of a young, confident and globally connected society.

Mission-Mode Reforms for Global Competitiveness

The Prime Minister highlighted the need for mission-mode structural reforms across sectors to strengthen India’s global capabilities. He stressed that policymaking and budgeting must continue to be guided by the vision for Viksit Bharat @2047, with a strong focus on competitiveness, integration with global markets and skilling to position India as an indispensable hub for the world’s workforce.

He also pointed out that India must maintain momentum in reforms to sustain long-term growth, especially in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Insights from Economists: Productivity, Savings and Technology

Eminent economists shared their views on unlocking productivity and competitiveness across India’s manufacturing and services sectors. The discussions centred on:

• Increasing household savings to support investment

• Driving robust infrastructure development

• Accelerating structural transformation through technology adoption

• Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a cross-sectoral productivity multiplier

• Expanding India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to fuel innovation and service delivery

The experts agreed that India’s unprecedented pace of reforms in 2025, and their expected consolidation in the coming year, will continue to anchor India’s position as one of the fastest-growing major economies.

A Gathering of India’s Leading Economic Thinkers

The meeting brought together some of the country’s most respected economists and policy thinkers, including:

• Shri Shankar Acharya

• Shri Ashok K. Bhattacharya

• Shri N. R. Bhanumurthy

• Ms. Amita Batra

• Shri Janmejaya Sinha

• Shri Amit Chandra

• Ms. Rajani Sinha

• Shri Dinesh Kanabar

• Shri Basanta Pradhan

• Shri Madan Sabnavis

• Ms. Ashima Goyal

• Shri Dharmakirti Joshi

• Shri Umakant Dash

• Shri Pinaki Chakraborty

• Shri Indranil Sen Gupta

• Shri Samiran Chakraborty

• Shri Abhiman Das

• Shri Rahul Bajoria

• Ms. Monika Halan

• Shri Siddhartha Sanyal

Their participation reflected a broad spectrum of expertise—from macroeconomic policy and taxation to financial markets, public finance, industry competitiveness and technological transformation.

Charting India’s Path to 2047

The discussion reaffirmed the understanding that achieving Viksit Bharat requires sustained reform, innovation-led growth, and deep structural transformation. With rising aspirations and a dynamic global environment, the Prime Minister emphasised that India must continue to leverage its demographic strength, digital leadership, and economic resilience.

The interaction concluded with a shared confidence that India is well-positioned to seize new opportunities, strengthen its economic foundations and advance decisively toward its long-term development goals.