PM Modi underscores 'Team India' spirit at Niti Aayog, calls for accelerated development goals

In a significant call for cooperative federalism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday underscored the importance of unified action between the Centre and the states, stating that no objective is unattainable when India functions as "Team India."

Chairing the 10th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to accelerate developmental efforts in pursuit of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

The meeting convened under the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047’, focused on aligning state and national developmental goals. “Viksit Bharat is the goal of every Indian. When every state is Viksit, then Bharat will be Viksit. This is the aspiration of its 140 crore citizens,” Prime Minister Modi said.

The Governing Council, which is the apex body of Niti Aayog, includes chief ministers of all states, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers. As chairman of the council, the Prime Minister advocated for a bottom-up approach to development. “We should have the aim of making each state viksit, each city viksit, each Nagar Palika viksit and each village viksit. If we work on these lines, we will not have to wait till 2047 to become Viksit Bharat,” he added.

He proposed that each state identify and develop at least one tourist destination of global standards, complete with modern infrastructure and facilities. “One State: One Global Destination. It would also lead to the development of the neighbouring cities as tourist places,” the Prime Minister noted.

Recognising the pace of urbanisation in India, he urged a focus on building “future-ready cities” with development driven by growth, innovation, and sustainability.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of increasing women's participation in the workforce. “We must make laws and policies so that they can be respectfully integrated into the workforce,” he said.

This meeting represents the first significant interaction between the Prime Minister and the chief ministers of all states and lieutenant governors of Union Territories following Operation Sindoor, marking a critical moment for reinforcing cooperative governance.