India could go from aspirational to inspirational within 25 years

We need hyperlocal collaborations among stakeholders so that attitudes change for the sustainable development of Bharat

- AJAY PIRAMAL & MANMOHAN SINGH

As India stands at the threshold of 74 years as a sovereign, democratic republic, the country's performance on most indicators, particularly over the past decade, has been quite remarkable, thanks to the government's consistent, focused and multi-pronged efforts. Within days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorting fellow countrymen on Independence Day to take a pledge to make India a developed country by 2047, India overtook the UK in 2022 as the fifth-largest economy in the world.

As we commemorate Republic Day, the narrative has now shifted to India becoming a developed country. Coupled with the fact that India is poised to become the world's third-largest economy by 2030, this has led to changes of mindset, strategy and policy at all levels, where the conversations are now around the ease of living, especially for underserved populations so that they can be key contributors to the nation's growth. The thinking has shifted from backward to aspirational to inspirational.

Full-steam ahead: To reach that destination, our improvement on human development indices needs close attention. On its part, the government is leaving no stone unturned to join the 'developed nations' club. To make it a reality, India's Human Development Index score needs to move from the current medium-tier level of 0.645 closer to a hightier 0.8. We must intensify our focus on parts of India where the poorest live, such as designated aspirational districts. While covid disrupted the development trajectory globally, the setback in India can be offset through the right mix of policy support and private-sector efforts.