'India's youth are our greatest asset': PM Modi pitches demographic dividend at NITI Aayog meet
States should focus on education, skilling and capacity-building initiatives to prepare young people for future opportunities and challenges, says PM Modi at Niti Aayog Meet
- Jun 11, 2026,
- Updated Jun 11, 2026 8:58 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged states to work closely with the Centre to accelerate India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, saying the country's nearly 70 crore young people were its greatest asset and must be transformed from a demographic dividend into a development dividend.
Chairing the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, Modi said India’s growth story continued to inspire the world at a time when many major economies were facing uncertainty and economic challenges.
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The meeting, themed "Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047", was attended by Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators representing all 28 states and five Union Territories. According to the government, it was the first time that Chief Ministers of all 28 states participated in the Governing Council meeting.
Emphasising cooperative federalism, Modi said the Centre and states must work together to achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat and that the vision should become the collective resolve of every state, district, block and village.
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Highlighting India's demographic profile, the Prime Minister said states should focus on education, skilling and capacity-building initiatives to prepare young people for future opportunities and challenges.
Referring to India’s recently concluded trade agreements with several countries, Modi encouraged states to create opportunities for youth and MSMEs, help stakeholders leverage the benefits of these agreements and actively attract investments from partner nations.
The Prime Minister also pushed for women-led development, calling on states to increase the number of Lakhpati Didis from three crore to six crore and ensure a safe and secure environment for women.
Modi urged states to focus on the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and build export-oriented strategies around local strengths. He also identified defence manufacturing as a key emerging sector where India was establishing a distinct identity and encouraged states to formulate policies to benefit from its growth.
Addressing governance challenges, the Prime Minister highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to tackle drug abuse and cyber fraud through awareness campaigns, preventive measures and effective administration.
He also drew attention to concerns linked to El Niño conditions and appealed to states to promote water conservation as well as natural and organic farming. Modi noted that farmers had purchased 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure during the current Kharif season, reflecting growing confidence in sustainable agriculture.
Calling for greater focus on district-level outcomes, Modi suggested identifying 100 districts in the agriculture sector on the lines of the Aspirational Districts Programme to drive targeted improvements and achieve measurable results.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of setting up monitoring mechanisms and defining both 100-day and five-year goals for achieving the Viksit Bharat vision.
Highlighting the role of governance in attracting investments, Modi asked states to focus on transparency, infrastructure, branding and ease of doing business. He also pointed to opportunities in emerging sectors such as data centres and artificial intelligence, saying AI should be viewed as an opportunity and that efforts must be made to equip people with future-ready skills.
During the meeting, Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators congratulated Modi on completing 12 years in office and expressed solidarity with the Centre in addressing global geopolitical challenges, strengthening energy security and sustaining economic growth.
Concluding the meeting, Modi said the discussions reflected the aspirations, experiences, best practices and challenges of the states, and expressed confidence that cooperation, innovation and a shared commitment to development would help accelerate India's progress towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged states to work closely with the Centre to accelerate India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, saying the country's nearly 70 crore young people were its greatest asset and must be transformed from a demographic dividend into a development dividend.
Chairing the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, Modi said India’s growth story continued to inspire the world at a time when many major economies were facing uncertainty and economic challenges.
Don't Miss: PLI scheme attracts Rs 2.4 lakh crore in investments till March 2026
The meeting, themed "Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047", was attended by Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators representing all 28 states and five Union Territories. According to the government, it was the first time that Chief Ministers of all 28 states participated in the Governing Council meeting.
Emphasising cooperative federalism, Modi said the Centre and states must work together to achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat and that the vision should become the collective resolve of every state, district, block and village.
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Highlighting India's demographic profile, the Prime Minister said states should focus on education, skilling and capacity-building initiatives to prepare young people for future opportunities and challenges.
Referring to India’s recently concluded trade agreements with several countries, Modi encouraged states to create opportunities for youth and MSMEs, help stakeholders leverage the benefits of these agreements and actively attract investments from partner nations.
The Prime Minister also pushed for women-led development, calling on states to increase the number of Lakhpati Didis from three crore to six crore and ensure a safe and secure environment for women.
Modi urged states to focus on the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and build export-oriented strategies around local strengths. He also identified defence manufacturing as a key emerging sector where India was establishing a distinct identity and encouraged states to formulate policies to benefit from its growth.
Addressing governance challenges, the Prime Minister highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to tackle drug abuse and cyber fraud through awareness campaigns, preventive measures and effective administration.
He also drew attention to concerns linked to El Niño conditions and appealed to states to promote water conservation as well as natural and organic farming. Modi noted that farmers had purchased 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure during the current Kharif season, reflecting growing confidence in sustainable agriculture.
Calling for greater focus on district-level outcomes, Modi suggested identifying 100 districts in the agriculture sector on the lines of the Aspirational Districts Programme to drive targeted improvements and achieve measurable results.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of setting up monitoring mechanisms and defining both 100-day and five-year goals for achieving the Viksit Bharat vision.
Highlighting the role of governance in attracting investments, Modi asked states to focus on transparency, infrastructure, branding and ease of doing business. He also pointed to opportunities in emerging sectors such as data centres and artificial intelligence, saying AI should be viewed as an opportunity and that efforts must be made to equip people with future-ready skills.
During the meeting, Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators congratulated Modi on completing 12 years in office and expressed solidarity with the Centre in addressing global geopolitical challenges, strengthening energy security and sustaining economic growth.
Concluding the meeting, Modi said the discussions reflected the aspirations, experiences, best practices and challenges of the states, and expressed confidence that cooperation, innovation and a shared commitment to development would help accelerate India's progress towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.