Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 7: Outlining the Government of India (GoI)’s vision for “Viksit Bharat”, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday reportedly highlighted that GoI has already initiated all-out efforts for achieveing its goal of ‘zero poverty’, ‘universal access to quality education’, ‘affordable and comprehensive healthcare’ for every citizen as well as ‘equipping every Indian young person with skills and meaningful employment’.
Delivering the C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture at the 23rd India Policy Forum organised by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the Union Finance Minister also reportedly emphasised the “pivotal role of Indian women in the country’s economic activities along with the farmers who have been making India the food basket of the world.”
Advocating for maintaining a cosy balance between the older and younger generations in shaping India’s brighter future, the Union Finance Minister reportedly said that, “While the older generation carries the wisdom and memory of this nation, the younger generation brings the energy, the innovation and the leadership to execute the next phase. They are actually the people who will live in 2047 and beyond.”
Acknowledging the early decades of India’s post-Independence era, the Union Fiannce Minister reportedly recounted that, “important institutional foundations were laid through the establishment of orgaisiations like ISRO, BARC, BHEL, IITs along with major irrigation projects.”
Highlighting the remarkable reforms introduced since 2014, Sitharaman reportedly focussed on “financial inclusion, JAM trinity (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and Mobile), inflation targeting through the Monetary Policy Committee, recognition and resolution of banks’ non-performing assets (NPAs), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), digital public infrastructure, Goods and Services Tax (GST), and investments in science, technology and higher education.”
Reportedly averring that, “India has continued to reduce multi-dimensional poverty and has aptly advanced its development agenda despite repeated global shocks,” the Union Finance Minister also reportedly noted that, “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects India’s economy to grow 6.4% in 2026, despite a weaker global outlook.”
Addressing the C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture, NCAER Chairman Nandan Nilekani reportedly “outlined a roadmap for sustaining rapid economic growth”.
