“We have boarded the Reform Express,” the Prime Minister said, underscoring the ongoing next-generation reforms aimed at positioning India as a major global economic power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired the fifth edition of the National Conference of Chief Secretaries, underlining an ambitious vision for “Viksit Bharat” by harnessing India’s demographic dividend and strengthening cooperative federalism. Held over three days from 26 to 28 December 2025 at Pusa, Delhi, the conclave brought together chief secretaries from all states and union territories to deliberate on strategies spanning human capital development, governance reforms, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and technology.
Calling the conference a “decisive step” toward deepening Centre-State partnerships, Modi said the summit reflects India’s collective thinking and constructive policy dialogue and provides a platform to translate policy ideas into tangible outcomes for citizens.
Harnessing India’s Demographic Advantage
At the heart of discussions was the overarching theme, “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat,” reflecting the government’s emphasis on knowledge, skills, health and capabilities as the central drivers of economic growth and social progress. Modi highlighted that nearly 70 per cent of India’s population is in the working-age group, offering a historic opportunity to accelerate growth.
“We have boarded the Reform Express,” the Prime Minister said, underscoring the ongoing next-generation reforms aimed at positioning India as a major global economic power. He emphasised that empowering youth remains a top priority for the government.
Quality, Excellence and Global Competitiveness
A significant thrust of the Prime Minister’s address was on quality – of governance, manufacturing and service delivery. He said Viksit Bharat must be synonymous with quality and excellence, urging stakeholders to go beyond average results.
In this context, the Prime Minister reiterated his long-standing vision that the “Made in India” label should embody global competitiveness and superior quality. He urged both the centre and states to identify 100 products for domestic manufacturing, reduce import dependence and strengthen economic resilience aligned with the zero effect, zero defect philosophy.
Agriculture, Tourism and Livelihoods
Addressing opportunities beyond traditional domains, Modi emphasised shifting Indian agriculture toward high-value sectors such as dairy, fisheries and export-oriented produce to make India the “food basket of the world.” The Prime Minister highlighted the PM Dhan Dhanya Scheme, which has identified 100 low-productivity districts as focal points for targeted interventions.
He also underscored tourism’s potential to generate livelihoods for youth. With India’s rich heritage and historical assets, Modi urged states to prepare roadmaps for at least one global-level tourist destination and build a thriving tourism ecosystem.
Sports, Skills and Future Events
In a forward-looking appeal, the prime minister stressed the need to align India’s national sports calendar with the global schedule, especially in preparation for the 2036 Olympics. Calling for enhanced sports infrastructure and talent identification programs, he urged significant investment over the next decade to nurture athletes from grassroots levels.
Modi also talked about mapping skill demand at state and global levels, advocating that academia and industry collaborate more closely to build a high-quality talent pool capable of meeting future market needs.
National Manufacturing Mission and Services Sector
The prime minister announced plans for the soon-to-be-launched national manufacturing mission (NMM), which he said should be a top priority for all states. He stressed the need to create enabling infrastructure to attract global companies and improve the ease of doing business, especially in land, utilities and social sectors.
Beyond manufacturing, prime minister Modi called for boosted momentum in the services sector, including healthcare, education, transport, tourism, professional services and artificial intelligence, to realise India’s ambition of becoming a global services giant.
Technology, Cyber Security and Manuscript Digitisation
Reflecting the strategic role of technology, the prime minister urged states to develop capacity building plans in partnership with the capacity building commission and enhance awareness of cyber security to protect citizens. He suggested increased use of technology across governance functions to improve quality and efficiency.
In a culturally rooted appeal, he also encouraged states to use the gyan bharatam mission to digitise historical manuscripts, then apply artificial intelligence to synthesise and disseminate the knowledge contained in them.
Actionable Plans and Federal Coordination
Concluding his address, Modi called for every state to develop 10-year actionable plans with 1-, 2-, 5- and 10-year targets, leveraging technology for regular progress monitoring. He highlighted that the success of Viksit Bharat depends on effective federal cooperation, robust implementation and time-bound outcomes.
The conference also featured theme-based sessions on early childhood education, schooling, skilling, higher education, and sports and extracurricular activities, recognising the diverse components of human capital development. Discussions emphasised citizen-centric governance, data-driven implementation and inter-departmental coordination as keys to achieving impact at scale.
