Turn Demographic Dividend Into Development Dividend: PM to States

• PM Modi chairs 11th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting in New Delhi.
• All 28 states participate for the first time in the council’s history.
• PM calls for stronger reforms, youth skilling and women-led development.
• States urged to focus on ODOP, defence manufacturing and AI opportunities.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th June: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged states to transform India’s demographic dividend into a development dividend as he chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.

The meeting, held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, was themed “Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047” and witnessed participation from Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators representing 28 states and five Union Territories. According to NITI Aayog, it was the first time all 28 states were represented by their Chief Ministers at the Governing Council meeting.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said India continues to emerge as a bright spot in the global economy despite uncertainty and economic challenges faced by several major nations.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of self-reliance, adoption of global best practices and strengthening reforms to sustain India’s growth momentum.

Emphasising cooperative federalism, he said the Centre and states must work together to achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047. He added that the vision of Viksit Bharat should become a collective mission for every state, district, block and village.

Highlighting India’s demographic strength, Modi noted that nearly 70 crore Indians are below the age of 25 years and described the youth population as the country’s greatest asset.

He called upon states to invest in education, skilling and capacity-building initiatives to prepare young people for future opportunities and challenges.

Referring to India’s recent trade agreements with multiple countries, the Prime Minister encouraged states to create new opportunities for youth and MSMEs while attracting greater foreign investment.

Modi also underscored the importance of women-led development and urged states to increase the number of Lakhpati Didis from three crore to six crore. He stressed the need to ensure a safe and secure environment for women across the country.

The Prime Minister asked states to strengthen the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and develop export-oriented strategies around local products to boost economic growth and employment.

He also highlighted defence manufacturing as an emerging sector where India is rapidly building a global identity and encouraged states to formulate policies to leverage the opportunities arising from its expansion.

On social challenges, Modi called for coordinated action against drug abuse and cyber fraud through awareness campaigns, preventive measures and effective governance.

Expressing concern over possible El Niño conditions, he appealed to states to promote water conservation and encourage natural and organic farming. He noted that farmers had purchased around 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure during the current Kharif season, indicating growing confidence in sustainable agriculture.

The Prime Minister also proposed identifying 100 agriculture-focused districts on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme to accelerate rural transformation and improve agricultural outcomes.

Calling for measurable governance targets, Modi urged states to establish both 100-day and five-year goals aligned with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.

Highlighting the importance of ease of doing business, transparency and infrastructure development, he encouraged states to focus on attracting investments and capitalising on opportunities in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and data centres.

The Prime Minister said artificial intelligence should be viewed as an opportunity and stressed the need to equip citizens with future-ready skills.

During the meeting, Chief Ministers and other participants congratulated Modi on completing 12 years in office and expressed support for strengthening India’s resilience amid evolving global geopolitical challenges.

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister described the discussions as constructive and reflective of the aspirations, experiences and challenges of states. He expressed confidence that cooperation, innovation and shared commitment would accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.