Opinion | Viksit Bharat 2047

From digital revolution to green transformation, India’s reforms, technology, and youth are powering the roadmap to a $30 trillion Viksit Bharat of shared prosperity

India is at a historical crossroads. As the nation advances towards the milestone of 100 years of independence in 2047, a new and bold desire is forming for a Viksit Bharat, or a developed India. The ambition is big: to transform the country into a $30 trillion economy and provide each of its citizens with prosperity, dignity, and opportunity. This mission impacts all aspects of India’s growth story.

The Viksit Bharat 2047 vision is constructed around some firm rules: more economic growth, social justice, sustainability, and innovation. India does not simply want to increase its economic size, but also that growth should be green and broad-based. Growth needs to include rural India as much as the city. It needs to provide opportunities for employment for young people, women, and small businessmen.

Make in India and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) government initiatives are captivating companies to locally produce, from electronics and mobiles to semiconductors and renewable energy parts. With enhanced manufacturing, India hopes to reduce imports, create employment for millions of individuals, and be a member of a global supply chain. The vision shall be led by infrastructure development. Motorways, new airports, seaports, and industrial corridors are being constructed at a record pace. The Development of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, new bullet trains, and the Gati Shakti National Master Plan will connect cities and industries in a way never seen before. India’s digital revolution remains one of its most powerful strengths.

Digital payments, mobile connectivity, and internet penetration have now reached even the most remote villages in the last decade. The Sensitivity of models like UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has made India a global example for digital inclusion. The Green economy is also among the most critical sectors of the Viksit Bharat vision.

India aims to develop sustainably by promoting renewable energy in the shape of mega solar parks, windmills, and e-mobility schemes. The National Green Hydrogen Mission and the policies for electric vehicles indicate India’s determination to reduce its carbon footprint. India can become a global leader in clean energy production with extensive areas of land and sun, and generate millions of new jobs. Agriculture, which continues to keep nearly half of India’s population going, is still the hub of India’s progress. The objectives are to place agriculture on a technological footing, improve irrigation, and extend access to markets to the farmers. Assistance to food processing units and rural enterprises can raise incomes and stem the flow of population into towns. The creation of a modern India will be impossible without a prosperous and thriving rural heartland.

India’s greatest asset is its youth, with over 60 per cent of its population under the age of 35. But if this talent has to be directed to its fullest potential, the country must spend lavishly on vocational skills, research and education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 seeks to make education more flexible and employment-driven. Skill development programs are being accelerated to prepare youth for employment in high-technology manufacturing, information and communications technologies, health care, green technology, and the creative industry.

For the country to remain on a high-growth path, policies need to be transparent, predictable, and efficient. Simplification of taxes, ease of business, and speeding up of clearances for the industry are all necessary steps. E-governance solutions can enhance public services and reduce corruption. India’s Digital India Mission has already remapped the government-citizen interface from electronic passports to electronic health records and schooling on the internet. Social development is the second half of this vision.

Economic growth would be of no avail if it did not enhance the well-being of every Indian. Government is therefore prioritizing affordable housing, healthcare, drinking water facilities, sanitation, and women’s empowerment. Initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, and PM Awas Yojana are revolutionizing the lives of crores of citizens in a healthy and dignified way. Integrating women into the working population, reviving up small industry, and economic empowerment through schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana have to be done so that growth is inclusive.

India is making significant contributions to the world. India is becoming a world citizen with a world responsibility for world trade, global warming, and peacekeeping endeavours. Its leadership on forums such as the G20 and enhanced diplomatic influence demonstrate that India is being heard in the world. Viksit Bharat will not only lead growth in the world but also provide a show to the world about how a large democracy can grow socially harmonious and sustainable.

But it will not be an easy journey to 2047. Joblessness, income inequality, regional disparities, and pollution-induced stress are problems still to be addressed by India.

India’s economy is youthful, vibrant, and full of promise. Its democratic ethos, strong institutions, and technological foundation provide it with a solid foundation. With all these combined and putting hands together, with imagination, and with a nation-building spirit, the goal of a $30 trillion economy is feasible. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself so often quotes, “The next 25 years are Amrit Kaal, a quarter-century when India can progress towards a glorious future for the generations that follow.”

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