PM Modi meets new NITI Aayog leadership today to set Viksit Bharat 2047 agenda
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet the newly appointed leadership of NITI Aayog on Thursday, 5 November 2026, in New Delhi, to review active policy initiatives and chart the government's course toward its flagship Viksit Bharat @2047 vision — an ambition to transform India into a fully developed nation by the centenary of its Independence.
Structure of the Meeting
Each NITI Aayog member is expected to deliver a focused two-slide presentation summarising key issues, ongoing policy work, and areas of strategic focus aligned with the long-term development framework. The format is designed to give the Prime Minister a consolidated, rapid-fire picture of where the think tank's priorities stand.
The deliberations will cover three broad pillars: the progress of current policy initiatives, the risks and opportunities arising from global economic uncertainties, and the outline of key priorities for the 2027-28 Union Budget. Specific attention is expected on domestic manufacturing, job creation, and GDP growth acceleration.
Who Will Attend
The meeting will be attended by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Lahiri, Chief Executive Officer Anurag Jain, and members Rajiv Gauba, R. Balasubramaniam, Joram Aniya, K.V. Raju, M. Srinivas, Gobardhan Das, and Abhay Karandikar. Other senior officials of the think tank are also expected to participate in the deliberations.
Why This Meeting Matters
The Viksit Bharat @2047 vision is the overarching policy framework guiding nearly every major central scheme, making NITI Aayog's internal alignment directly consequential for budget allocations and reform priorities. The meeting gains added weight given that this is the newly constituted NITI Aayog leadership — Thursday's session is effectively its first structured policy review with the Prime Minister.
Notably, the previous major conclave of NITI Aayog's Governing Council was held on 11 June, when Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi. That session, themed 'Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat @2047', brought together Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators from all 28 states and 5 Union Territories, along with Union Ministers — making it the most expansive federal forum for the vision so far.
Key Issues from the Governing Council Agenda
The June Governing Council meeting laid out several of the same threads likely to resurface on Thursday: strengthening human capital, skilling the workforce for future industries, boosting entrepreneurship, improving healthcare outcomes, and ensuring equity across communities. Participants had also discussed expanding the Lakhpati Didi initiative — with a target of scaling beneficiaries from 3 crore to 6 crore — along with addressing climate change impacts on agriculture and tightening coordination between central and state policies.
The role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and data-driven governance in improving last-mile service delivery was another focal point, underscoring the government's push to use technology as an enabler of inclusive growth. Cooperative federalism — specifically, closer Centre-state coordination — was flagged as a prerequisite for hitting development targets on schedule.
What Comes Next
Thursday's internal review is expected to shape the policy signals that feed into Budget 2027-28 consultations, which typically begin in earnest in the winter session. With manufacturing, employment, and growth on the agenda, the outcomes of this meeting could carry forward into ministry-level directives in the weeks ahead.