Latest news with #ViksitRajyaforViksitBharat
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
India is Not Yet the Fourth-Largest or a $4-Trillion Economy; NITI Aayog CEO's IMF Claim Misleading
NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam sparked excitement recently by claiming that India is already the world's fourth-largest economy and a $4 trillion economy, citing International Monetary Fund (IMF) data during a press briefing on May 24, 2025. Speaking after the NITI Aayog's 10th governing council meeting themed 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat', he expressed confidence that India would become the third-largest economy within 2.5 to 3 years, with only the US, China, and Germany ahead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several prominent personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Anand Mahindra, echoed these claims, sharing graphics attributed to the IMF's April 2025 World Economic Outlook report that appeared to show India overtaking Japan to become the fourth-largest economy. Fact Check: What Does the IMF Data Actually Say? A detailed examination of the IMF's World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released on April 22, 2025, reveals no such official ranking stating India is the fourth-largest economy or that it has surpassed Japan. The 190-page report does not include a ranking chart listing countries by GDP size as circulated on social media. The IMF database provides GDP figures at current prices in US dollars, including estimates for future years. According to this data: India's GDP for the financial year 2024-25 (FY25) was $3.91 trillion. India is projected to reach $4.187 trillion by the end of FY26 (April 2025 - March 2026). Japan's GDP in the calendar year 2024 was $4.03 trillion. Japan's GDP is estimated to be $4.186 trillion at the end of 2025. This indicates that India has not yet overtaken Japan, although projections suggest it could do so by the end of FY26. Currently, India ranks fifth in GDP size, behind the United States, China, Germany, and Japan. Clarifications from Experts Other experts associated with NITI Aayog, such as Arvind Virmani, have stressed that India becoming the fourth-largest economy is a forecast for the end of 2025, not a current fact. Virmani noted the importance of waiting for full-year GDP data before making definitive claims. The IMF itself compiles data based on government statistics and provides projections; it does not independently collect raw economic data. Why GDP Ranking Isn't the Full Picture Even if India surpasses Japan in GDP terms, economists caution against using this metric alone to gauge development or progress. GDP figures do not reflect per capita income, income inequality, or employment levels—key factors in assessing overall economic wellbeing. Conclusion While India's economic growth is strong and the country is on track to climb the global GDP rankings, the claim by NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam that India is already the fourth-largest economy and a $4 trillion economy is premature and misleading when citing IMF data. India remains the fifth-largest economy as per the latest official figures, with projections indicating it may become fourth by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Goa CM Pramod Sawant lays foundation stone of Ethanol Plant at Navelim Industrial area
Navelim (Goa) [India], May 27 (ANI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for 300 KLPD (kiloliters per day) Ethanol Plant at Navelim Industrial area. Speaking to ANI, CM Sawant said, 'The state government is committed to the development of the 200 people will get employment from will also get empowered and get jobs...' Earlier on Sunday, Goa Chief Minister Sawant said that he has raised the issue of the revival of Khazan lands at the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to ANI, CM Sawant said, 'This is the 6th meeting of NITI Aayog that I got to issues across the country are discussed in this meeting... I raised the Khazan land issue in the meeting and submitted a plan to revive it and it is very important. We are hopeful of receiving assistance from the Centre.' Khazans are traditional farmlands in Goa that were created in low-lying areas near the coast. They are characterized by intricate networks of sluice gates, embankments, and canals designed to control the flow of saltwater and freshwater, allowing for rice cultivation and aquaculture in areas prone to tidal flooding. Khazans host diverse ecosystems, providing habitats for many species. They contribute to Goa's economy through agriculture, fishing, transport, and tourism. In the NITI Aayog meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that all the states should work together to make India a developed country and achieve the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Prime Minister Modi said that we should commit to developing every state, every city, and every village, and only then would we be able to make the country Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister chaired the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, earlier on Saturday. This year's theme was Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047. The meeting commenced with a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist said that India has emerged among the top five economies of the world, and 25 crore have escaped poverty. He emphasized that India needs to accelerate this transformation and encouraged states to leverage their manufacturing strengths. He added that India has announced the Manufacturing Mission and that global investors are interested in the country. The Prime Minister encouraged the states to utilize this opportunity and make it easy for investments. (ANI)
India Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
One vision, many fissures: Can Modi govt, states align on Viksit Bharat blueprint?
The mood inside New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam for the 10th governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog on May 24 was strikingly warm, almost theatrical in its display of unity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged greetings and shared light-hearted moments with chief ministers of Opposition-ruled states—M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu, Bhagwant Mann of Punjab and A. Revanth Reddy of was a carefully constructed tableau of cooperative federalism, a visual rebuttal to the narrative of a Centre at odds with the states. But one chair remained conspicuously empty—that of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Her decision to skip not only drew sharp criticism from the BJP but also exposed her growing political missing from Opposition-ruled states were chief ministers Siddaramaiah (Karnataka) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), besides the NDA's (National Democratic Alliance) Nitish Kumar and Puducherry chief minister N. Krishnasamy. Yet it was Mamata's absence that was widely discussed in INDIA bloc and NDA recent weeks, Mamata has cut a lonely figure—even former INDIA partners are now aligning with Modi on key national concerns. First, she pulled out her MP from the all-party global outreach against Pakistan's terror infrastructure post-Operation Sindoor, only to send her nephew Abhishek Banerjee under pressure. Now, by boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting, Mamata appears to have further distanced herself at a time when others are converging in the spirit of shared responsibility. As Modi pushes ahead with his vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, what was once a story of federal friction may now be morphing into one of selective maturity—and strategic year's theme for the governing council meeting was 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047'—a vision of India as a developed nation by the centenary of its independence. But behind the lofty pronouncements and photo-ops lies a complex reality. For states grappling with financial strain, demographic divides, administrative bottlenecks and political mistrust, the road to 2047 is paved more with obstacles than prime minister's call to action—asking each state to develop at least one world-class tourist destination, interlink rivers, modernise civil preparedness and skill the youth for emerging technologies like AI and semiconductors—was aspirational, no doubt. But for many states, particularly those outside the NDA fold, these goals remain a distant dream unless deeper systemic issues are the political choreography at play. The Modi government, often accused of centralising power, has in recent months made deliberate overtures to project consensus. Operation Sindoor, the precision military campaign against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), was followed by an all-party 59 parliamentarians cutting across party lines were grouped into seven outreach teams to take India's message on terrorism to global capitals. It was a show of unity—and strategic foresight—that left Mamata politically cornered. Her initial refusal to participate stood out sharply, particularly as other Opposition leaders—once her close allies—chose to be part of the boycott of the NITI Aayog meeting, then, appeared to confirm a trajectory of increasing political isolation. While the BJP predictably pounced on her absence, what stung more was the indifference from other Opposition chief ministers. She will have to now recalibrate her political posturing, that too almost a year before West Bengal is scheduled to go to fiercely critical of the Centre, many are now choosing calibrated engagement. Stalin, for instance, while remaining vocal on issues such as language imposition and federalism, has not hesitated to attend key national forums. Reddy in Telangana, despite his Congress credentials, understands the need to strike a balance between regional assertion and central cooperation. Mann, too, has chosen a similar path—engaging, criticising but shift signals a larger trend. India's Opposition leaders, especially those running states, are learning to differentiate between electoral rivalry and administrative partnership. This is not a sign of surrender but of survival—and relevance. The federal contract may be fraying, but the political class is learning to navigate it yet, the vision of Viksit Bharat is no mere slogan. It's a complex, multi-decade mission that demands real structural reform—not just from Delhi but from each of the states. The prime minister was clear: the Centre cannot go it alone. But herein lies the rub. For states to deliver on the ambitious targets—be it skilling, infrastructure, agriculture or tourism—they will need a fairer financial compact, greater flexibility in scheme implementation and, most importantly, a genuine voice in national skilling, for example. The Centre has approved a Rs 60,000 crore scheme to modernise training infrastructure. But many states, especially in the East and Northeast, lack the basic institutional backbone to absorb such funds. Others struggle with outdated curricula, weak industry linkages and a mismatch between training and market demand. Unless states are empowered to localise skilling strategies—based on their economic profiles and youth demographics—the vision of becoming the world's 'Skilling Capital' will remain there's urbanisation. The Centre's announcement of a Rs 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund aims to transform Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities into engines of growth. But the real test lies in execution. Urban planning remains hostage to antiquated master-plans, politically captured municipalities and rampant land-use violations. Many cities lack the technical capacity to even prepare quality project proposals let alone implement them. Without a new urban governance model—rooted in transparency, decentralisation and technical expertise—the fund risks becoming another underutilised pool of resources offer another compelling case. Modi's push for interlinking of rivers within states and his praise for Bihar's Kosi-Mochi grid were framed as models for others. But water politics in India is notoriously thorny. States routinely battle over river-sharing—from Cauvery to Yamuna to Ravi-Beas. Interlinking rivers even within a state often runs into legal, ecological and political barriers. Without a fresh water federalism framework—one that balances upstream-downstream rights and incentivises conservation—these ambitions may hit the wall of status quo meanwhile, is an untapped economic lever. Modi's idea of each state developing one global-standard destination sounds simple, but achieving it requires a complete overhaul of infrastructure, hospitality, branding and safety standards. State tourism boards are underfunded and plagued by red tape. Land acquisition for hotel clusters is cumbersome, and coordination between departments is poor. With the right push, India could indeed offer 25-30 destinations that rival the best globally—but it will take more than just there are the inescapable financial asymmetries. Many states have accused the Centre of unfairly skewing fiscal devolution. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Telangana have repeatedly flagged concerns over the Finance Commission's formulae, claiming they penalise better-performing states. Delays in GST compensation, arbitrary cess outside the divisible pool and rising centralisation in centrally sponsored schemes have added fuel to the fire. In this context, calls for cooperative federalism ring hollow unless the fiscal architecture is also made more too, has emerged as a flashpoint. The Centre's efforts to mainstream Hindi across official and defence communication have provoked sharp resistance from southern states. The contentious debate around the Census and simultaneous elections has deepened this trust deficit. And yet, despite these tensions, a quiet realignment is underway. Regional leaders are picking their battles, often choosing to negotiate from within the system rather than from outside is why the image of opposition chief ministers greeting the prime minister with warmth—and participating actively in policy discussions—matters. It signals not capitulation, but evolution. It is an acknowledgment that in the age of overlapping crises—climate, cyber threats, terror, economic decoupling—the states and Centre must act as boycott, in contrast, appears increasingly isolated from this political drift. While she remains a formidable regional force, her strategy of confrontation may be running out of road. The perception that she has lost the confidence of even her allies on national issues weakens her hand. And in a federal set-up like India's, isolation often translates to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, India will need a new model of federalism—one that is less about confrontation and more about co-creation. States will need to reform internally, shedding legacy inefficiencies and embracing transparency, accountability and innovation. Civil services must be retooled for performance, not process. Land and labour reforms must be undertaken with state-specific lenses. Health and education delivery must shift from input-based to outcome-based equally, the Centre must be willing to let go. It must trust states with flexibility, stop micromanaging schemes and create genuinely participative policy platforms. Federalism cannot be cooperative if it is not equal. The NITI Aayog's governing council can be a crucible for this transformation, but only if the political class invests it with seriousness and shared Bharat Mandapam, the optics suggested a moment of rare alignment. Whether that moment becomes a movement depends on what happens after the photo-ops fade. For now, Modi has laid out a grand vision. The states, divided in politics but increasingly united in pragmatism, must decide if they will walk with him or chart their own path to 2047. Either way, the clock is to India Today MagazineMust Watch
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually inaugurates reconstructed Malan Bridge in Kotdwar
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami (ANI) NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually attended the inauguration program of the reconstructed 'Malan Bridge' over the Malan River in Kotdwar. He said, "I remember very well that when a very terrible disaster struck there, the bridge was completely damaged. I especially congratulate all the engineers, labourers and administrative officers who have worked day and night to complete this bridge. This bridge will not only benefit the people of the area but will also help in the development of the area" Earlier, following the 10th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed his chief secretary to prepare a clear and practical strategy at the state level for the effective implementation of the points discussed during the meeting. According to a statement from the Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office, Dhami, after the meeting on Saturday, emphasised the importance of realising Modi's vision of a "Developed India @ 2047", and for this, the state government needs to effectively implement the schemes and policies at the grassroots level by coordinating with the central government. He instructed the Chief Secretary to prepare a time-bound action plan in coordination with concerned departments and ensure continuous monitoring of its progress. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo The Chief Minister also stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and public participation in the implementation process."The Chief Minister also said that transparency and accountability should be fixed at every level while ensuring public participation. He said that the state government is fully participating in the resolve to make India a self-reliant and developed nation under the leadership of the Prime Minister," the statement from CMO read. Chief ministers and lieutenant governors representing 24 states and seven Union Territories attended the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday. This year's theme was Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047. The meeting commenced with a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
India Gazette
7 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Virtually Inaugurates Reconstructed Malan Bridge in Kotdwar
New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually attended the inauguration program of the reconstructed 'Malan Bridge' over the Malan River in Kotdwar. He said, 'I remember very well that when a very terrible disaster struck there, the bridge was completely damaged. I especially congratulate all the engineers, labourers and administrative officers who have worked day and night to complete this bridge. This bridge will not only benefit the people of the area but will also help in the development of the area' Earlier, following the 10th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed his Chief Secretary to prepare a clear and practical strategy at the state level for the effective implementation of the points discussed during the meeting. According to a statement from the Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office, Dhami, after the meeting on Saturday, emphasised the importance of realising Modi's vision of a 'Developed India @ 2047', and for this, the state government needs to effectively implement the schemes and policies at the grassroots level by coordinating with the central government. He instructed the Chief Secretary to prepare a time-bound action plan in coordination with concerned departments and ensure continuous monitoring of its progress. The Chief Minister also stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and public participation in the implementation process.'The Chief Minister also said that transparency and accountability should be fixed at every level while ensuring public participation. He said that the state government is fully participating in the resolve to make India a self-reliant and developed nation under the leadership of the Prime Minister,' the statement from CMO read. Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors representing 24 states and seven Union Territories attended the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday. This year's theme was Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047. The meeting commenced with a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. (ANI).
