In his thought-provoking book Viksit Bharat: India @2047, Aditya Pittie lays out a bold and comprehensive vision for India’s transformation into a fully developed nation by its centenary of independence. Inspired by a desire to help future generations understand the vast opportunities ahead, he explores how India can evolve into a $30 trillion economy by 2047.What inspired you to write about India’s transformation into a developed nation by 2047, and what key areas do you focus on? This book emerged from a deeply personal place; I wanted my son, the youth of his generation, and future generations to understand the emerging opportunities and growth trajectory of India, and how they will experience and reap the benefits of a country that has demonstrated a remarkable resilience and potential, in its rise from colonial exploitation to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a GDP of $4.3 trillion in 2025. In my book, Viksit Bharat: India @2047,I focus on critical areas including the economy, infrastructure development, digital innovation, sustainability, and social inclusion. These pillars collectively form the foundation necessary for India’s transition into a fully developed nation. The enormous growth potential of India in the coming decades motivated me to outline a plan for a $ 30 trillion-plus economy by 2047. How do you envision India’s economic growth and development unfolding over the next few decades, and what role do you see innovation playing? India’s economy will sustain a high real GDP growth to reach $ 30 trillion or more by 2047, with per capita income exceeding $18,000, building on our GDP surge from $2.04 trillion in 2014 to $4.39 trillion by 2025. Development will unfold in phases: short-term ($5 trillion by 2027) through infrastructure and financial inclusion; mid-term via global manufacturing leadership and universal access to quality education and healthcare; and long-term, focusing on sustainability and equity. Innovation is the key to boosting R&D to 2% of GDP, fostering industry-academia ties, and creating innovation clusters. With the third-largest startup ecosystem, innovation will drive sectors such as AI, biotech, agri-tech, defence tech, health tech, and green tech, adding $1 trillion to the digital economy alone. Technology and innovation will provide non-linear effects and create step changes, which will help India leapfrog not only technological gaps but also the GDP leaderboard towards developed nation status. Your book highlights the importance of infrastructure development; can you elaborate on its significance for India’s future growth? Infrastructure forms the backbone of India’s growth,facilitating a $30+ trillion economy by lowering logistics costs and enhancing competitiveness. Investments like PM Gati Shakti and National Industrial Corridors are transformative. The focus on connectivity, covering highways, railways, airports, and digital networks, will harness the demographic dividend and create millions of jobs. Infrastructure development is vital for India’s future growth as it supports all other sectors, directly impacting productivity, connectivity, and quality of life. Modern, efficient infrastructure, such as smart cities, advanced transportation networks, and digital connectivity, will foster equitable growth across both urban and rural areas. How can India balance economic growth with sustainability and social equity, and what strategies do you propose? To promote social equity, it is essential to provide universal access to quality education and healthcare. Strengthening social safety nets through a dynamic targeting mechanism, enhancing health and nutrition programs, expanding universal health coverage, and increasing mobile health clinics.Furthermore, boosting agricultural productivity through agri-tech, and increasing participation of women in the workforce is important to achieve economic growth. Strengthening climate action and mitigation through carbon pricing market mechanisms, enhancing the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), implementing stricter emissions regulations, expanding renewable energy after already achieving the 500 GW target ahead of time, and increasing energy efficiency measures and demand-side management are key areas to focus on in sustainability. Looking ahead to 2047, what are the most critical challenges India needs to address to achieve its development goals, and how can they be overcome? The critical challenges to be addressed to achieve the ambitious goals of Viksit Bharat by 2047 include infrastructure deficits, skills gaps, ease of doing business, inequality, sustainability, regional disparities, and regulatory uncertainty. More specifically, infrastructure gaps are being addressed through PM Gati Shakti and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for climate-resilient projects. Furthermore, there is a need to prioritize and fast-track critical infrastructure projects, improve connectivity through the continued development of highways, railways, and airports. For Human Capital and Skill Development,implementing education reforms to prioritize 21st-century skills needs launching a national reskilling and upskilling program to align with current industry requirements as well as prepare the workforce for future jobs. There is also a need to effectively implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. To improve ease of doing business, simplifying regulatory frameworks and reducing bureaucratic hurdles is a must. It’s essential to implement the Jan Vishwas Act comprehensively to build trust among businesses. Sustainable Development needs us to promote the use of renewable energy sources and green technologies. There is an urgent need for developing policies for sustainable urbanization and waste management. Expanding the reach of financial services through digital banking and mobile technology and strengthening the PMJDY by integrating it with other welfare schemes is the next step towards expanding the reach of social welfare. Addressing bottlenecks through targeted reforms, streamlined governance, and strategic investments is imperative for achieving the desired growth trajectory.
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