06-07-2025
On First World Rural Development Day, discover how villages are driving India's growth story
In a symbolic development, the UN General Assembly has declared that from this year onwards, July 6 will be observed as World Rural Development Day, reaffirming its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.
In India, the past one and a half decades have witnessed a notable push in this direction, supported by policymakers, rural development enterprises, including NPOs, and change leaders working in partnership with local bodies. These joint efforts are now reflected in the country's economic indicators, as highlighted in the Economic Survey 2024–25, that the urban-rural divide is narrowing at a steady pace, with rural consumption gaining momentum - the gap in Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) has reduced to 70 per cent in 2023–24, down from 84 per cent in 2011–12.
Observing World Rural Development Day also offers an opportunity to reflect upon the role of development organisations in India that are already aligned with the UN's objectives. Anirban Ghose, Managing Director, Transform Rural India (TRI) says, 'At Transform Rural India, we see this day as a celebration of the spirit that drives our villages forward. Rural communities are not passive recipients of change, they are its architects. Strengthening their agency and creating enabling systems of change around them is key to building a more equitable, balanced, and future-ready India.'
Collective efforts to strengthen resilience, inclusivity, and balance in urban-rural dynamics are essential to a country's economic and social development. Anju Devi, a farmer and community member from Boda village of Ranchi, Jharkhand says, 'When we finally came together as a community and took charge of our own future, the growth we experienced was genuine and lasting. Real change only started to happen when we opened up to each other, shared our struggles, and joined hands to find solutions together. It was in those moments of unity that we truly began to move forward, side by side.'
Transform Rural India will host the fifth edition of its flagship event, the India Rural Colloquy, from August 1-8 – a gathering across five states of the thought leaders and changemakers building India's rural renaissance, along with the launch of three major reports on youth, health and CSR impact.
