India still faces significant hurdles in addressing climate change, pollution, and inequality. While India has made significant progress in reducing extreme poverty and improving infrastructure, it lags behind in areas such as quality education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has released its 2025 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Progress Report, revealing that the Asia-Pacific region is significantly off track in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report highlights that most targets are either stalled or progressing too slowly, with persistent data gaps hindering effective policymaking. However, within this regional landscape, India presents a mixed picture, demonstrating both progress and areas of concern in its sustainable development journey.

The report identifies several areas where progress is notably lacking across the Asia-Pacific region:

• Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12): Increases in fossil fuel subsidies and unsustainable production patterns continue to hinder progress.
• Quality Education (Goal 4): Poor proficiency in reading and mathematics remains a significant barrier, with large disparities in access to education.
• Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8): Economic growth has stagnated in many nations, affecting employment opportunities and fair wages.

Alarmingly, Climate Action (Goal 13) has seen regression, with the region’s vulnerability to disasters and continued greenhouse gas emissions — accounting for half of global pollution — exacerbating the situation. Environmental sustainability challenges, such as land degradation and declining benefits from sustainable fisheries, further hinder progress on Life Below Water (Goal 14) and Life on Land (Goal 15).

As Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana Under-Secretary-General of the UN ESCAP says, “Climate change and the impact of disasters continue to be significant obstacles to progress”.

“At the same time, data gaps persist and leave some of the most vulnerable populations invisible in official statistics, limiting policymakers ability to address their needs effectively,” she says.

“Without urgent action to accelerate progress, many of the Goals will remain out of reach, and nothing short of the most urgent acceleration of progress will close the gap,” Alisjahbana warns.

India’s SDG Performance: Progress with Gaps

Despite the regional challenges, India has demonstrated notable advancements toward the SDGs:

• Improved SDG Score: The fourth edition of the SDG India Index, developed by NITI Aayog with UN support, assigns India a score of 71 out of 100, an increase from 66 in the previous edition. This improvement reflects progress in areas such as poverty elimination, decent work, economic growth, climate action, and life on land.
• Data Availability: India has data available for 68% of the 231 indicators under the 17 SDGs, surpassing regional peers like China (58 per cent) and Vietnam (66per cent). This comprehensive data collection enhances the country’s ability to monitor and achieve SDG targets effectively.
• State-Level Achievements: States such as Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have emerged as top performers, while Uttar Pradesh has shown the fastest progress, increasing its score by 25 points since 2018.

However, the country still faces significant hurdles in addressing climate change, pollution, and inequality. While India has made significant progress in reducing extreme poverty (Goal 1) and improving infrastructure (Goal 9), it lags behind in areas such as quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), and environmental sustainability (Goals 13, 14, and 15).

Local Solutions to Global Problems

India has embraced community-driven approaches to address data gaps and promote sustainable development. These initiatives offer promising solutions to bridge the disparities in SDG progress:

• Know Your City (KYC) Initiative: Active in regions like Dharavi, Mumbai, this initiative empowers residents of slums and informal settlements to collect and analyze data on housing conditions, sanitation, and infrastructure needs. Supported by organizations such as the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC) and Mahila Milan, these efforts have led to improved urban planning and resource allocation.
• Nomadic Tribal Household Survey: The Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion conducted a survey of 400 nomadic tribal households across Rajasthan, assessing development challenges and mapping access to social protection. This initiative provided valuable insights into issues spanning multiple SDGs, including poverty, hunger, gender equality, and reduced inequalities.

These grassroots efforts highlight the power of local data collection in ensuring that marginalized communities are included in the sustainable development agenda.

The Road Ahead: Urgent Actions Needed

With just five years remaining until the 2030 deadline, achieving the SDGs requires bold action, strengthened political leadership, and significant investments in sustainable development. UNESCAP’s Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana emphasises that “nothing short of the most urgent acceleration of progress will close the gap.”

For India, a more targeted approach is necessary to address areas of slow progress and regression. While the country has excelled in reducing extreme poverty and improving digital infrastructure, it must now focus on:

• Strengthening climate resilience and reducing carbon emissions to prevent further regression on Goal 13.
• Enhancing education quality and accessibility to close the learning gap in Goal 4.
• Promoting inclusive economic growth by ensuring decent work opportunities for all (Goal 8).

The authors of the report says that the success of the SDGs in India and the broader Asia-Pacific region will depend on multi-stakeholder collaboration, increased funding, and stronger policy commitments at both national and local levels.

While most SDG targets remain off track, the report says that Asia-Pacific region has made some progress in key areas, including Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (Goal 9)andGood Health and Well-being (Goal 3). Advances in mobile network expansion and significant improvements in maternal and child health have contributed to positive gains in these areas.

As the 2030 deadline approaches, India’s experience underscores the importance of localised initiatives, robust data systems, and collaborative efforts in realising the vision of sustainable development for all. While there are signs of progress, the urgency to scale up efforts cannot be overstated.

The UNESCAP report serves as both a wake-up call and an opportunity for India and its neighbours to redouble their efforts in building a sustainable and inclusive future. It warns that without immediate and decisive action, many SDG targets will remain out of reach, further exacerbating inequalities and environmental challenges in the region.