Developed India by 2047: Goyal Calls on Youth to Lead

• Goyal urges youth to help build a developed India by 2047.
• India sets a $1 trillion export target for the current financial year.
• Exports reach $480 billion in April–September, recording 14% growth.
• Minister highlights India’s global trade standing and digital opportunities.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 3rd Nov: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday urged young Indians to take the lead in building a Developed India by 2047, saying their ambitions, choices and contributions would shape the country’s future.

Addressing the Young Leaders Discourse Forum at Kirori Mal College in New Delhi, Goyal described the goal of making India a developed nation by the centenary of Independence as non-negotiable. He reminded students that they would be in their forties in 2047 and would have a direct role in shaping the country’s journey.

Highlighting India’s export performance, Goyal said the country had recorded its highest-ever exports of $863 billion in the previous financial year. India has now set an ambitious target of $1 trillion in exports for the current financial year.

Exports reached $480 billion during April–September, registering 14% growth, he said. India would need another $520 billion in exports during the remaining six months to achieve the annual target. Goyal expressed confidence that the country could reach the milestone, noting that October had also been a good month.

He said India could have settled for a $900-billion target but had chosen a more ambitious goal despite uncertainty in global trade. He also noted that the International Monetary Fund had recently revised its global trade growth projection to around 3.5%.

Goyal said India had evolved from being counted among the fragile five economies to becoming one of the world’s leading economies and the fastest-growing major economy. Referring to a recent World Bank report, he said around 50 crore people had moved out of extreme poverty.

The minister attributed the country’s economic progress to its skilled workforce, young population, democratic system, domestic demand and leadership. He also pointed to India’s growing international standing, saying countries across regions were keen to enter into preferential trade agreements and free trade agreements with the country.

Recalling India’s support to other nations during the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, Goyal said the country had provided vaccines, medicines and relief assistance while continuing to meet the needs of its own people.

Turning his focus to students, the minister urged them not to settle for modest ambitions. He said transformation required people to change the way they think, work and live, and encouraged young people to keep learning, adapt to changing circumstances and reinvent themselves.

Goyal also underlined the role of colleges and teachers in shaping character, confidence, resilience and discipline. He said the lessons learnt in educational institutions often become clearer when students enter professional and public life.

Referring to the National Education Policy, he highlighted the flexibility it offers students to change courses, earn academic credits and move between streams. He also pointed to India’s digital expansion, noting that around 1.1 billion internet users now have access to a vast range of knowledge and learning opportunities.

Concluding his address, Goyal asked students to preserve traditions, maintain discipline and keep a larger national goal in mind. He urged them never to lose self-confidence or courage, saying determination and individual effort remain central to success.