India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat: 11 years of development, progress and nation-building
In just over a decade, India has overhauled its legal framework, transformed its economy, expanded welfare, and taken a leadership role on the global stage — all while setting its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2047
As India embarks on its fast-paced, human-centric developmental journey to become a developed country — Viksit Bharat 2047 — by the time it marks a century of independence, the past decade has been exceptional across the national and strategic spectrum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to dispense with a 'slavish mentality' and to 'reform, perform and transform' has already begun to yield remarkable dividends.
More than 1,550 archaic and cumbersome laws have been repealed, and jurisprudence updated. From 130th place in 2017 on the World Bank's Doing Business Index, India rapidly rose to 63rd, resulting in a significant increase in foreign direct investment. The innovation ecosystem has grown from a mere 500 start-ups a decade ago to 1.6 million, including 118 unicorns. From being among the 'fragile five' to becoming the world's fourth-largest economy in just a decade is a remarkable achievement by any standard. According to Bloomberg, based on IMF data, China, India and the United States are projected to be the three global growth engines from 2025–2030.
India has also emerged as a key proponent in the fight against climate change and a vocal critic of 'green apartheid.' It has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, though by many accounts this target may be reached much earlier. In 2015, India, along with France, launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) — perhaps the most consequential initiative since the Non-Aligned Movement of the 1950s.
Notably, 50% of India's installed electricity capacity now comes from non-fossil sources, integral to ensuring the energy security essential for sustaining the fastest-growing major economy in the world. Ambition and aspiration are being converted into tangible action. During its G20 Presidency in September 2023, India launched the Global Biofuels Alliance and met its ethanol blending targets ahead of schedule. The same applies to its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), where India has been the first and fastest to comply.
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The pandemic hit the world in an unprecedented way, but India's response was unique, guided by its civilisational dictum of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family. While powerful nations hoarded vaccines and medicines for geopolitical ends, India manufactured vaccines not only for itself but also for countries such as the UK and Russia, and supplied billions of doses to over 100 nations under its 'Vaccine Maitri' (Vaccine Friendship) initiative.
At the same time, it had to cater for the one-sixth of humanity living within its borders. Recognising healthcare as a fundamental priority, India launched the government-financed insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which has expanded substantially since 2014. This is one of the largest government healthcare programmes in the world. Under AB-PMJAY, 345 million Ayushman cards have been issued, 29,914 hospitals empanelled, and more than 65 million authorised hospital admissions facilitated. The scheme has since been extended to cover senior citizens over 70.
As an essentially agricultural country, India considers its farmers the backbone of its economy and food security. Even at the Doha rounds of the WTO, India has consistently defended the interests of developing nations. Prime Minister Modi pledged to double farmers' incomes through grassroots initiatives and reforms, including the Soil Health Card scheme, the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which offers low-premium crop insurance. Since PMKSY's launch in 2015, micro-irrigation technologies have been promoted, leading to a significant rise in food grain output—from 252 million tonnes a decade ago to 332 million tonnes today.
Fighting poverty has been one of the government's greatest undertakings. Operating one of the world's largest food security programmes, the Targeted Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act covers 813.5 million beneficiaries across rural and urban areas. Recent measures, such as extending free food grain distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another five years, underscore the government's commitment.
Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) has become central to the 'Make in India for the World' vision — positioning India as part of global value and supply chains while emerging as a smart manufacturing hub and services centre. The government's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism has seen indigenous defence systems deployed effectively, notably during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-based terror hideouts.
India's achievements extend beyond its borders and atmosphere. It became the first nation to land on the Moon's southern pole, and is advancing with its Gaganyaan mission. Domestically, its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Aadhaar unique ID, and vast network of bank accounts have transformed welfare delivery.
By linking Aadhaar with Jan Dhan bank accounts and mobile numbers—the 'JAM Trinity' — the government has streamlined welfare distribution, reduced fraud, and ensured benefits reach intended recipients swiftly. This proved crucial during the pandemic, enabling rapid, targeted financial aid. These digital public goods are also shared with other developing nations. Initiatives such as 'AI for All', 'One Earth, One Health' and 'One Sun, One World, One Grid' are not slogans but policy directives of a resurgent India rooted in its civilisational ethos.
In today's fractured world order, India's value-based foreign policy has become robust, resilient, and results-oriented, enhancing its strategic autonomy and pursuing multi-alignment while advocating reformed multilateralism and multipolarity. This was evident when Prime Minister Modi was invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the G7 Summit — despite cooler bilateral ties — recognising India's importance at the global table.
India is increasingly becoming a rule-shaper, from the G7 to the G20, BRICS and beyond. By example, advocacy, and credible representation, it continues to serve the interests of the Global South while promoting inclusivity and human-centric development.
Amb Anil Trigunayat is a former Indian Ambassador and a Distinguished Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
