by Dr. Rizwan Rumi
On June 9, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath of office for a third consecutive term, marking a significant milestone in India’s democratic journey. By mid-2026, the Union Government had completed twelve years in office—a period that has witnessed sweeping policy reforms, unprecedented investments in infrastructure, rapid digital transformation, expanding welfare initiatives, and an increasingly assertive global presence. These years have also been marked by extraordinary challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability, inflationary pressures, and climate-related disasters. Yet, India has continued to position itself among the world’s fastest-growing major economies while pursuing the long-term vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
The concept of “Viksit Bharat” is far more than a political slogan. It embodies the aspiration of transforming India into an economically prosperous, technologically advanced, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and globally influential nation. Achieving this ambitious goal requires not merely economic growth but structural reforms that improve governance, strengthen institutions, enhance human capital, and ensure that development reaches every citizen.
One of the most striking features of the past twelve years has been India’s economic resilience. Even amid unprecedented global uncertainty, India has maintained robust growth. According to the 2025–26 Economic Survey, India’s real GDP growth was estimated at around 7.4 percent, reaffirming its position as the fastest-growing major economy for the fourth consecutive year. Public investment, private consumption, manufacturing expansion, digital innovation, and infrastructure spending have emerged as major drivers of this growth.
Infrastructure has undoubtedly become the defining pillar of India’s development strategy. Roads, expressways, railways, airports, inland waterways, logistics parks, and urban transport systems have expanded at an unprecedented pace. Massive programmes such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, Dedicated Freight Corridors, PM Gati Shakti, and high-speed rail initiatives have sought to improve connectivity while reducing transportation costs and boosting competitiveness. Between 2014 and 2026, India’s national highway network expanded by more than sixty percent, making it one of the largest highway systems in the world.
The modernization of Indian Railways has also accelerated significantly. Railway station redevelopment, electrification of tracks, semi-high-speed trains, freight corridors, and investments in safety have transformed one of the world’s largest transportation systems. Simultaneously, the number of operational airports has expanded substantially under the regional connectivity scheme, enabling previously underserved regions to join the mainstream economy.
Equally transformative has been India’s digital revolution. Few countries have witnessed such rapid digital inclusion within such a short period. The Digital India initiative has fundamentally altered governance by making public services faster, more transparent, and more accessible. Aadhaar-enabled authentication, Direct Benefit Transfers, online governance platforms, and digital identity systems have reduced administrative leakages while improving service delivery.
Perhaps the most visible symbol of this transformation is the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Today, billions of digital transactions take place every month, making India one of the world’s leading digital payment economies. Small vendors, street merchants, farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers across rural and urban India increasingly rely upon digital payments. This financial revolution has strengthened financial inclusion while promoting transparency in economic transactions.
India’s entrepreneurial landscape has experienced a remarkable transformation over the last decade. The Startup India initiative, easier business registration processes, digital infrastructure, innovation hubs, and improved access to finance have encouraged thousands of young entrepreneurs to establish technology-driven enterprises. India now possesses the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, with more than two lakh officially recognised startups generating millions of direct jobs across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, financial technology, clean energy, education, and manufacturing.
Manufacturing has emerged as another strategic priority. Through Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, policy reforms, and improved logistics, India has sought to strengthen domestic manufacturing while integrating more effectively into global supply chains. Electronics manufacturing, particularly mobile phone production, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy equipment, defence manufacturing, and semiconductor development have witnessed substantial policy attention. These initiatives aim not only to increase exports but also to reduce import dependence and generate large-scale employment opportunities.
Financial inclusion has undergone a silent revolution. Millions of previously unbanked citizens have been brought into the formal financial system through widespread bank account opening, digital banking, insurance coverage, pension schemes, and micro-credit programmes. Direct Benefit Transfers have significantly improved transparency by ensuring that welfare benefits reach intended beneficiaries without unnecessary intermediaries.
Social welfare has remained a central component of governance. Housing initiatives have enabled millions of economically weaker households to obtain permanent homes. Rural electrification has reached remote villages, while clean cooking fuel schemes have reduced dependence on traditional fuels, improving health outcomes for women. Tap water connectivity has expanded considerably under rural drinking water programmes, reducing the burden on women and improving public health.
Healthcare reforms gained renewed momentum following the COVID-19 pandemic. Expansion of health insurance coverage, establishment of wellness centres, investment in medical colleges, digital health infrastructure, telemedicine, and pharmaceutical manufacturing have strengthened India’s healthcare ecosystem. India’s successful vaccination programme demonstrated its scientific capability, manufacturing capacity, and administrative coordination on an unprecedented scale.
Education has witnessed important policy reforms through the National Education Policy 2020, which seeks to transform teaching, learning, research, vocational education, multilingualism, and skill development. Greater emphasis has been placed on digital education, foundational literacy, multidisciplinary learning, and innovation. However, improving learning outcomes, teacher quality, research productivity, and equitable educational access remain significant challenges.
Agriculture continues to occupy a central place in India’s developmental framework. Income support schemes, irrigation expansion, crop insurance, digital agriculture, farmer credit, warehouse infrastructure, and rural road connectivity have attempted to improve agricultural productivity and farmer welfare. Nevertheless, agriculture remains vulnerable to climate variability, fragmented landholdings, fluctuating market prices, and water scarcity, requiring continuous policy innovation.
Women’s empowerment has increasingly been integrated into development policy. Financial inclusion, entrepreneurship support, educational opportunities, maternity benefits, self-help groups, sanitation initiatives, and legislative measures promoting greater political representation have expanded opportunities for women across sectors. Women’s participation in governance, business, science, education, and entrepreneurship continues to grow, though further efforts are needed to bridge gender disparities in employment and leadership.
India’s global profile has strengthened considerably during this period. The country’s successful presidency of the G20, expanding strategic partnerships, active participation in multilateral institutions, humanitarian diplomacy, defence cooperation, and leadership in climate initiatives have enhanced its international stature. India’s space programme has continued to achieve global recognition through cost-effective missions, technological innovation, and scientific excellence.
Climate change and environmental sustainability have simultaneously emerged as critical national priorities. India has significantly expanded renewable energy capacity through investments in solar, wind, green hydrogen, and electric mobility. International initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance underscore India’s commitment to global climate action. Yet balancing rapid industrialization with ecological conservation remains one of the country’s greatest long-term challenges.
Despite undeniable progress, several structural challenges continue to demand serious attention. Employment generation remains among the most important priorities. While economic expansion has created opportunities, ensuring adequate high-quality employment for India’s large youth population requires faster growth in labour-intensive manufacturing, services, tourism, agriculture-based industries, and innovation-driven sectors.
Income inequality and regional disparities also remain areas of concern. While metropolitan regions have experienced rapid economic expansion, several rural and geographically remote areas continue to face developmental gaps. Balanced regional development, stronger local governance, and greater investment in health, education, digital infrastructure, and livelihoods are essential for ensuring truly inclusive growth.
Urbanization presents another complex challenge. India’s cities continue to attract millions seeking better economic opportunities. However, rapid urban growth has intensified pressures on housing, transportation, waste management, water resources, pollution control, and public services. Sustainable urban planning will therefore determine the quality of life for future generations.
Governance itself has undergone significant transformation. Greater use of technology, online service delivery, digital documentation, public grievance mechanisms, and data-driven policymaking has improved administrative efficiency in many areas. However, continuous institutional reforms, greater transparency, judicial efficiency, decentralization, and citizen participation remain equally important for deepening democratic governance.
As India moves towards 2047, demographic strength will remain one of its greatest advantages. With one of the world’s youngest populations, the country possesses enormous potential to become a global hub of innovation, manufacturing, research, entrepreneurship, and skilled human capital. Realizing this demographic dividend, however, will depend upon sustained investment in education, healthcare, vocational training, research, digital literacy, and employment generation.
The vision of Viksit Bharat cannot be achieved through government initiatives alone. It demands active participation from industry, academia, civil society, entrepreneurs, scientists, farmers, workers, and every citizen. Development is ultimately a collective national endeavour built upon trust, innovation, accountability, and shared responsibility.
After twelve years, India’s development story reflects both remarkable achievements and unfinished tasks. Modern highways, digital governance, financial inclusion, improved welfare delivery, entrepreneurial growth, manufacturing expansion, stronger global diplomacy, and technological advancement have reshaped many aspects of national life. Simultaneously, employment, education quality, healthcare access, environmental sustainability, regional inequalities, and institutional strengthening require sustained commitment in the years ahead.
History often judges governments not merely by the promises they make but by the institutions they strengthen, the opportunities they create, and the lives they improve. India’s journey over the past twelve years demonstrates that transformative change is possible when long-term vision is accompanied by consistent implementation. Yet the next phase of development must focus equally on quality, inclusiveness, sustainability, and social equity.
The dream of a developed India by 2047 is both ambitious and attainable. If economic reforms continue alongside investments in human development, environmental stewardship, scientific innovation, social justice, and democratic governance, India can emerge not merely as one of the world’s largest economies but as one of its most inclusive and resilient societies. The road ahead remains challenging, but the foundations laid during the past twelve years provide an important platform upon which the next generation of India’s development story will be written.
The author can be mailed at rizwanroomi2012@gmail.com
