Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged states to focus on Viksit Bharat (developed India), saying their aim should be to make each state, city, municipality and village viksit.

Chairing the 10th governing council meeting of Niti Aayog at Bharat Mandapam, the PM underlined that Viksit Bharat is the “aspiration of 140 crore Indians” and “not the agenda of any party”.

“If we work on these lines, we will not have to wait till 2047 to become Viksit Bharat,” he added.

Briefing reporters about the meeting, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said the meeting was attended by 31 states and Union territories of a total of 36. Those who could not attend had prior commitments and informed the council.

“We are the fourth largest economy as I speak. We are a $4 trillion economy… It is only the US, China and Germany which are larger than India and if we stick to what is being planned, in 2.5-3 years, we will be the third largest economy,” said Subrahmanyam.

Modi asked states to check oxygen plants and preparations amid new Covid-19 cases being reported in India.

The PM also told states that Operation Sindoor should not be treated as “a one-off initiative” and “we must adopt a long-term approach”. “The prime minister mentioned that we must modernise our approach to civil preparedness. He said the recent mock drills have reignited our attention to civil defence; states should institutionalise civil defence preparedness,” a government statement said.

Modi said India has emerged among the top five economies and 250 million people have escaped poverty. He emphasised that India needs to increase the speed of this transformation and encouraged states to leverage their manufacturing strengths. He said the government has announced a manufacturing mission.

Pointing to the “huge” interest of global investors in India, Modi told states to “utilise this opportunity and make it easy for investments”. The PM cited recent trade agreements with the UAE, UK and Australia and said states should “utilise it to the optimum.”

On skilling, Modi said the National Education Policy gives emphasis on education and skill. He said states must plan for various skills attuned to modern technologies like AI, semiconductors and 3D printing. “We can become the skill capital of the world because of our demographic dividend. A ₹60,000-crore scheme for skilling has been approved by the government. States must focus on modern training infrastructure and rural training hubs to enhance skilling,” the press release said.

The PM said cybersecurity was “a challenge as well as an opportunity” and emphasised green energy and hydrogen as areas of immense potential. Modi also said that after the 2023 G20 summit, during which meetings were organised across India, the country was “recognised as a global tourist destination” and asked states to “leverage the opportunity”.

He suggested states should develop at least one tourist destination of global standards, creating 25-30 such destinations across India. The PM asked states to make cities engines of sustainability and growth, and to focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to tackle rapid urbanisation. He noted that a ₹1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund is being created for seed money.

Speaking on opportunities for women, the PM asked states to change laws to enable them to join the growth trajectory. “He observed that there should be reforms in public and private sectors for working women with focus on their ease of working,” the press release said.

Modi encouraged states to interlink rivers, appreciated the Aspirational Districts Programme, and said the focus in agriculture should be on “lab to land”. He mentioned the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan in which about 2,500 scientists will go to villages to help crop diversification and chemical-free farming, and told states to refocus on health services delivery.

Modi also asked Niti Aayog to study the suggestions of states and UTs made during the meeting and hailed the 10th governing council meeting as a “milestone of its 10 years of journey which defines and outlines the vision for 2047”.

“He observed that the governing council meetings have helped in nation building and emerged as a platform for joint action and shared aspirations. He expressed his gratitude to all the chief ministers and lieutenant governors for participating in the meeting and sharing their views and experiences, and expressed confidence that India is progressing on the path to fulfil the vision of Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @2047 through the power of cooperative federalism,” the statement said.