SKOCH Summit
Inclusion and Human Development
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“Intersections of Democracy: Federalism, Finances & Development” will convene leaders, experts, and practitioners to deliberate on how India’s democratic institutions are evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The conference will explore the dynamic interplay between federal structures, fiscal policies, and development priorities, emphasizing their role in shaping inclusive and sustainable growth.
As India charts its path towards 2047, questions of financial resilience, equitable development, and cooperative federalism become ever more critical. This dialogue offers a platform for sharing perspectives, best practices, and policy innovations that can strengthen governance and empower communities. By bringing together diverse stakeholders from across government, academia, and industry, the summit seeks to foster meaningful conversations and actionable insights for building a stronger, more resilient democracy.
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Over the past two decades, the SKOCH Summits have been more than just gatherings—they have been milestones in India’s journey toward inclusive growth, economic empowerment, and social transformation.
Now, as we reach our 100th milestone, we reflect on the transformative changes shaped by the voices of millions and look toward the future with renewed hope.
From Financial Inclusion to AI-driven Innovation, from Humanistic Governance to addressing the Cobra Effect of Tax Interpretations, the 100th is not just a meeting of minds—it is a roadmap for the India we are building together.
Whether amplifying the Voice of the Global South, creating Ease of Self-Employment or ensuring Climate Action without Hidden Agendas, this is the moment to unite for a stronger, more inclusive future.
Join us from 30th November 2024 to 25th March 2025 as we bring together lessons from the past 99 SKOCH Summits and set the stage for an India where innovation, justice, and equitable opportunity go hand in hand for all.
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The 98th SKOCH Summit centred on building robust indices to guide and measure India’s journey toward Viksit Bharat (Developed India). A key focus was on developing Indices for Viksit Bharat that reflect local realities while aligning with global standards. The role of Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) was explored, advocating ethical digital practices by businesses. Experts discussed the Harmonisation of CDR, SDGs, ESG, CSR, Human Rights, and AI, emphasizing an integrated responsibility framework. The session on Narrative for Viksit Bharat aimed to craft a compelling vision rooted in India’s strengths. Indian Indices for Global Use highlighted the potential of indigenous frameworks influencing international policy. Topics like The Responsibility of Gaming and Digital Mental Health raised awareness of emerging societal impacts. Finally, a Responsibility Framework for Data & AI was proposed to ensure ethical and inclusive technological development, supporting India’s long-term developmental aspirations.
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97th SKOCH Summit
India Involved
Measuring Commitment to Developed India
The 97th SKOCH Summit focused on assessing India’s active participation in its journey toward becoming a developed nation. The Inaugural Session set the tone by highlighting the role of inclusive participation in national development. Discussions on the Comprehensive Economic Impact of Cloud showcased how cloud technology is driving digital transformation and contributing to GDP growth. The summit also examined how to ESG Faster & Better, emphasizing actionable strategies for integrating environmental, social, and governance goals into business models. Sessions like ESG & IT – Joined at the Hip demonstrated how technology can accelerate ESG compliance and reporting. The Digital Dimension of Indian Growth highlighted the critical role of digital infrastructure and innovation in India's economic progress. Finally, Why CFOs Care About ESG explored the financial imperatives behind sustainability, underlining how ESG performance is increasingly tied to long-term profitability and investor confidence.
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The 96th SKOCH Summit – Public Policy for India 2047 brings together policymakers, economists, and industry leaders to chart India’s long-term development vision. The sessions explore the evolution of public policy as a science, the manufacturing and hardware revival, and India’s leadership in AI innovation for global impact. Discussions emphasize empowering MSMEs, deepening and securing markets, and promoting financial literacy as key levers of inclusive growth. The summit also revisits India’s journey toward AatmaNirbhar Bharat, highlighting reforms that blend self-reliance with global competitiveness. Collectively, the panels outline a roadmap for a resilient, data-driven, and equitable India by 2047.
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The 95th SKOCH Summit – State of Inclusive Growth examines India’s progress toward equitable, sustainable, and broad-based development under the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vishwas. The sessions assess the evolution of inclusive governance since 2014, evaluating how reforms in welfare, infrastructure, and digital delivery have shaped outcomes for citizens. Discussions revisit the ModiNomics model to gauge its impact on jobs, equity, and social democracy while identifying areas for renewed focus. Panels explore the next frontier beyond universal financial access—ensuring credit translates into livelihoods, productivity, and poverty reduction. The summit also addresses how financial deepening, MSME support, and competitive markets can sustain growth, balance costs, and extend inclusion to every corner of India. Together, the dialogues outline a roadmap for achieving India’s vision of high-income, inclusive growth by 2047.
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India’s brightest legal luminaries, practitioners and experts from the field of Justice, Law and Policy are coming together to adorn the 2nd edition of SKOCH India Law Forum on 26th August 2023 at New Delhi. SKOCH India Law Forum is the only platform that deliberates and returns actionable recommendations on the burning issues of its times.
The Forum features India Law Awards independently instituted by SKOCH Group. This year SKOCH India Law Forum Lifetime Achievement Award is conferred on Justice Chittatosh Mookerjee, Former Chief Justice, Calcutta High Court. Additionally, eminent Judges and Lawyers are conferred SKOCH Award for Service to Justice and Service to Law respectively.
Justice M N Venkatachaliah, Former Chief Justice of India received the SKOCH Lifetime Achievement Award, 2022. A festschrift in his honour edited by Bibek Debroy and Sameer Kochhar entitled At the Intersection of Law & Life: Essays in Honour of Justice M N Venkatachaliah will be unveiled during SKOCH India law Forum.
A discussion on the book will follow the release.
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The 93rd SKOCH Summit – State of Governance “India 2047” focuses on how India’s governance model is evolving to meet the nation’s centenary goals of growth, equity, and sustainability. The sessions examine how states, districts, and municipalities are translating reforms into measurable outcomes and citizen-centric governance. Discussions highlight innovations in digital delivery, infrastructure, and administrative efficiency that are driving inclusive development. The summit showcases how good governance at every level—state, district, and municipal—is laying the foundation for a prosperous and self-reliant India by 2047.
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The 92nd SKOCH Summit—India Economic Forum, themed "India 2047: High Income with Equity," brought together leading economists, policy analysts, and industry experts. The discussions centered on charting India's socio-economic trajectory towards becoming a high-income nation by 2047 while ensuring equitable growth. Highlights included the ceremonial release and comprehensive discussion of the book India 2047 - High Income with Equity by Sameer Kochhar. The summit also featured deliberations on BFSI, FinTech, and PSU sectors, recognizing their crucial role in India's developmental goals and financial inclusion. Key speakers included members of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and former senior government officials.
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The 88th SKOCH Summit, themed "State of Governance" on January 20, 2023, featured focused deliberations on critical public sector innovations. The first major panel, Innovations in Safety & Security, brought together Additional Director Generals and Inspectors General of Police from Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Greater Chennai to discuss cutting-edge policing and security practices. The second key panel, Innovations in Power & Energy, featured senior leaders from major state electricity transmission and distribution companies, including Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh, alongside the Chandigarh Renewable Energy Society, to discuss advancements in power sector efficiency and renewable energy. The summit served as a platform for recognizing numerous state and municipal projects that received the SKOCH Order-of-Merit.
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India Governance Forum in its twentieth year, is the oldest Governance Leadership Summit. Its recommendations have had a profound policy impact across the center and state governments. It is one of the few conferences where the focus is on field research-based knowledge-rich arguments that bring felt needs to the discussion table.
We firmly believe Governance is what is received and not what was the intended delivery. Our ongoing field research and conversations across thousands of projects in a year give us a deep insight into what is working and how it can work even better.
We bring together an ecosystem of academia, industry, economists, policy experts, practitioners, and civil society. Carefully constructed panels, well-researched background notes and clearly articulated problem statements to find relevant answers and an agenda moving forward created. Honestly, there is nothing else that comes even close.
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India Governance Forum in its twentieth year, is the oldest Governance Leadership Summit. Its recommendations have had a profound policy impact across the center and state governments. It is one of the few conferences where the focus is on field research-based knowledge-rich arguments that bring felt needs to the discussion table.
We firmly believe Governance is what is received and not what was the intended delivery. Our ongoing field research and conversations across thousands of projects in a year give us a deep insight into what is working and how it can work even better.
We bring together an ecosystem of academia, industry, economists, policy experts, practitioners, and civil society. Carefully constructed panels, well-researched background notes and clearly articulated problem statements to find relevant answers and an agenda moving forward created. Honestly, there is nothing else that comes even close.
There are reports and then there are reports that matter. In the area of Governance performance assessment, SKOCH State of Governance is the report that matters the most. It is based entirely on primary research and a time-tested process.
The report is nonpartisan - quite a few findings may go against the more popular or convenient narrative.
Each state gets ranked after an exhaustive study of one year. SKOCH Star of Governance Award is conferred sector-wise for the best performance nationally.
Recipients are from Central and State Governments represented at senior most levels.
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India Governance Forum in its twentieth year, is the oldest Governance Leadership Summit. Its recommendations have had a profound policy impact across the center and state governments. It is one of the few conferences where the focus is on field research-based knowledge-rich arguments that bring felt needs to the discussion table.
We firmly believe Governance is what is received and not what was the intended delivery. Our ongoing field research and conversations across thousands of projects in a year give us a deep insight into what is working and how it can work even better.
We bring together an ecosystem of academia, industry, economists, policy experts, practitioners, and civil society. Carefully constructed panels, well-researched background notes and clearly articulated problem statements to find relevant answers and an agenda moving forward created. Honestly, there is nothing else that comes even close.
There are reports and then there are reports that matter. In the area of Governance performance assessment, SKOCH State of Governance is the report that matters the most. It is based entirely on primary research and a time-tested process.
The report is nonpartisan - quite a few findings may go against the more popular or convenient narrative.
Each state gets ranked after an exhaustive study of one year. SKOCH Star of Governance Award is conferred sector-wise for the best performance nationally.
Recipients are from Central and State Governments represented at senior most levels.
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SKOCH India Law Forum (ILF) is an independent platform for change-makers, committed to bringing about a transformative change to the nation through law and legal reform. For 2022, ILF seeks to bring together India’s leading legal luminaries, the government, the judiciary, practitioners of law and the legal fraternity, at the intersection of law and life. While most law forums, which are rare in India, focus on legal practice or legislation, ILF 22 will focus on the impact of law and legislation on businesses and individuals. This is an attempt to understand the impact of law on real life and the aim is to improve the outcomes through dialogue, debate and deliberations.
The forum will look to make recommendations that can increase access to justice and improve the rule of law through proper enforcement. We will look to instigate a positive transformation in India through legal reform by having enriching discussions and debates with actionable outcomes. If India is to become a developed country by 2047, what kind of a judicial system will take us there? What kind of changes will be needed in the current legal and legislative systems to ensure proper enforcement that will actually benefit the citizens.
India Law Forum 2022 is being organized with the understanding that law is fundamental to shaping the India of tomorrow and improving access to justice for everyone. ILF will be the bridge between law (government, lawyers & courts) and life (corporate and individuals) that will be needed to achieve uniform growth across different regions, sectors and industries.
India Law Forum 2022 is being organized with the understanding that law is fundamental to shaping the India of tomorrow and improving access to justice for everyone. ILF will be the bridge between law (government, lawyers & courts) and life (corporate and individuals) that will be needed to achieve uniform growth across different regions, sectors and industries.
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The 81st SKOCH Summit – State of Governance highlights India’s progress in strengthening governance and development outcomes across critical sectors. The summit opens with discussions on the evolving governance landscape, followed by focused sessions on education, forest, and environmental management driving sustainable growth. Panels on energy and transport explore innovations in infrastructure, renewable resources, and digital governance shaping state performance. The event culminates with the prestigious SKOCH Award and SKOCH Order-of-Merit recognitions, celebrating exemplary initiatives and institutions contributing to inclusive, efficient, and transparent governance in India.
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India Economy Forum (IEF) is India’s marquee platform that brings together foremost economists and heads of financial institutions to shape economic agendas in India. SKOCH IEF is the only independent & unbiased forum that is trusted by all stakeholders, irrespective of their affiliations and associations, which resonates with our collaborative spirit to push for positive change.
With the Indian economy on the path to recovery after COVID-induced slowdown, the importance of a resilient economic framework and ecosystem has become obvious. However, several important issues will need to be addressed and several greenfield areas developed before this vision can be realized. With that in mind, the SKOCH Group had organized the India Economic Forum from 4th Feb to 26th March, 2022. The first-of-its-kind forum brought together more than 90 high-profile luminaries from economics and finance over 11 highly engaging sessions to touch upon several burning issues with direct market and policy impact.
Five key tracks were identified with direct relevance to the growth of the economy and the vision of transforming India into a global economic powerhouse by 2025 and included “Economy”, “Markets”, “Finance”, “Sustainability” and “LITFest”. The tracks, panels and the exhaustive discussions will culminate in the Grand Finale, scheduled for 26th March, 2022, where the recommendations from all the tracks on spatially dispersed, job generative & equitable growth will be presented to the top decision makers and leaders from economy and finance.
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Cryptocurrencies are here to stay in different forms whether as floating currencies or Stablecoins- which are pegged to actual currencies or Digital coins issued by Central Banks. The rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies has also led to them being recognised as legal tender by countries like El Salvador.
There are questions on how cryptocurrencies can function like fiat currencies because of the wildly fluctuating nature of their value. However, The technological backbone on which cryptocurrencies function can be the foundation of transforming large-scale payments. An example of this can be when Hong Kong, China, Thailand and the UAE, together with the Bank for International Settlements’ Innovation Hub, carried out cross-border transactions with their central bank digital currencies, on an experimental basis. The transaction took seconds, instead of days, as with the conventional method of transferring payments via Swift. This shows that with the efficient implementation of Blockchain the nature and scale of large international transactions can be transformed.
The distributed ledger which underlies the blockchain technology is useful for supporting smart contracts which means that predetermined actions can be executed when payments are concluded on the blockchain. While the potential of this technology is huge, There are also underlying issues such as huge power consumption when compared to traditional forms of payments.
The policymakers have to come to terms with this new form of currency and dedicated awareness campaigns must be run to inform investors about the legitimate and illegitimate ways in which cryptocurrencies can be used. If the adoption of these currencies goes on unchecked it can undermine the stability of National Currencies and make it difficult for the Central Banks to implement Monetary policy effectively. The upcoming economic models will integrate Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain from the outset and it will have a definite impact on National Economies and their GDP.
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There is no more a question mark. The third wave of coronavirus has become 'inevitable' now.
There are only questions like when a new variant of COVID-19 will hit the country and whether and how well the centre, states, metros, and districts have prepared for it.
Reuters' survey, based on an opinion poll of 40 doctors, scientists, epidemiologists, and professors across the globe, says it may hit India by October. Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), India's premier health institute, Dr Randeep Guleria says that the 'inevitable' third wave could arrive in the next six to eight weeks while Maharashtra State Task Force member Rahul Pandit fears it may arrive earlier than expected if people do not observe COVID-appropriate behaviour. The task force believes that 10 percent of the total cases in the third wave could comprise children and young adults.
SKOCH Group, one of India's leading think tanks dealing with socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997, is organising a National Consultation 'Preparing for the Third Wave'. The consultation would look at the views of the centre, state, cities and districts. To be organised in three parts, the first conference on the subject would take place on 3 July.
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It was in 2016, we published the book "Modi's Odyssey: Digital India, Developed India: which was a combined vision and wisdom of domain experts drawn from the government and the private sector. This book laid out the digital roadmap for India between 2016-19, This vision has enriched most of the national flagship projects through the recommendations in this book.
We are now working on our next edited book entitled 'The Digital State - Highway to AatmaNirbhar Growth' that takes stock of the journey and lays out the roadmap for the next phase of the digital journey of India to a SIO trillion economy with an AatmaNirbhar Growth defined by us as job generative, spatially dispersed, equitable and sustainable growth that would avoid the middle income trap for India.
The book would be a collection of essays by sectoral experts that lay out the digital roadmap in their respective areas. We believe that the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Programme as envisioned by Prime Minister Modi would yield AatmaNirbhar Growth. This is the essence of "The Digital State."
72nd SKOCH Summit with the underlying theme of "The Digital States" kick starts this thinking process, lays out initial thoughts of various stakeholders and initiatives a participative dialogue on how Digital India would now pan out to show a solid impact on Inclusive Growth from 2021 to 2025.
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The 70th SKOCH Summit, themed Public Policy Forum, served as a critical platform to analyze India's governing frameworks in the digital age, particularly in the context of the post-COVID world. The forum convened to address emerging policy imperatives, focusing on how to build resilient systems that ensure both national sovereignty and citizen-centric services.
A central pillar of the discussion was data governance, with panels dedicated to the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill and its profound implications. Policymakers and experts debated how to strike a balance between protecting a nascent digital economy, ensuring individual privacy, and enabling data-driven governance. Further sessions explored inclusive growth mechanisms, including public policy directives for tribal and marginalized communities, and the vital role of Panchayati Raj institutions in ensuring last-mile transparency and accountability.
Ultimately, the 70th Summit reinforced the SKOCH mandate of bringing "felt-needs" to the forefront of policy. It championed the idea that effective public policy is the cornerstone of participatory democracy, requiring robust frameworks for data, decentralization, and public health to make inclusive growth a reality.
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The 63rd SKOCH Summit integrated a Public Policy Forum with a Public Policy LITFest, creating a unique platform that blended rigorous policy discussions with insights from contemporary literature on governance, economics, and social issues in India. Likely held in late 2019, the summit aimed to enrich the policy discourse by incorporating perspectives from authors and their recent works.
The core Public Policy Forum segment addressed pressing national challenges, examining the effectiveness of ongoing reforms, exploring strategies for economic growth, and debating improvements in public service delivery and governance structures. Simultaneously, the LITFest component featured discussions with authors, book launches, and panels centered around influential new books relevant to these policy areas. This integration allowed for a dynamic exchange where data-driven analysis met narrative insights, and policy debates were informed by the research and perspectives presented in recent literature.
By combining these elements, the 63rd SKOCH Summit aimed to foster a more holistic understanding of India's development challenges. It underscored SKOCH's innovative approach to policy dialogue, leveraging the power of both expert analysis and compelling literature to stimulate debate and contribute to more informed public policy.
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“Jai Hind: Practising Patriotism” reframed patriotism as a daily discipline of nation-building — measured not by slogans but by actionable choices in policy, markets, and public life. The summit asked how citizens, businesses, and institutions can turn love of country into better governance, ethical enterprise, and evidence-led reform. It treated patriotism as a civic operating system: reduce leakages, respect the rule of law, secure the digital commons, and make every intervention count for inclusion and productivity.
Keynotes and panels explored what “actionable patriotism” means across domains: defending constitutional values in an era of polarisation, marrying growth with fairness, and insisting on outcomes over intentions in public programs. Voices from journalism, scholarship, and policy challenged attendees to replace performative pride with accountable practice — from transparent procurement to citizen-first service delivery.
The result was a grounded manifesto: patriotism is verified in the quality of our systems — the schools we build, the laws we uphold, the data we protect, and the dignity we extend. By shifting the focus from rhetoric to measurable impact, the 57th SKOCH Summit positioned patriotism as the everyday craft of making India work better for all.
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“The Inclusion Manifesto” reframed inclusion as a hard-edged governance and data problem—less about slogans and more about who is left out, why, and how to fix it. The summit advanced a practical doctrine: deliver physical and social infrastructure first; build reliable, granular data about the poor; and align programmes to measurable outcomes rather than intent. It argued that India’s predominantly informal economy complicates traditional measurement of jobs and welfare, demanding better instruments for identifying need and tracking impact.
A centrepiece was the release of the SKOCH State of Inclusion Report 2019, which connected evidence from the field to policy choices on financial access, social protection, and last-mile delivery. Discussions pressed for decentralised beneficiary identification (SECC-like approaches) over top-down surveys, so subsidies and services reach the right households with fewer leakages. The message was clear: inclusion must be engineered through data fidelity, local accountability, and infrastructure that expands real capabilities.
Beyond debate, the summit recognized on-ground exemplars through the SKOCH Order-of-Merit/Awards, underscoring that credible inclusion is verified in execution—not announcements. By tying research, reform, and recognition together, “The Inclusion Manifesto” set a high bar: make inclusion the operating system of governance, where programs are designed, targeted, and audited to deliver dignity and opportunity at scale.
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“The Fifth Year” took stock of governance at the close of a political cycle, asking how promises translate into public outcomes and, ultimately, into a renewed mandate. The summit framed the moment as a stress test for India’s institutions: did flagship reforms deepen inclusion and efficiency, and where did delivery fall short? Its opening conversations explicitly explored “Translating Governance to Mandate,” setting the tone for an evidence-led appraisal of achievements and gaps.
Panels on “Undercurrents in Participatory Democracy” brought voices from policy, media, and civil society to interrogate what citizens actually received versus what was intended. The debate probed electoral accountability, program execution, and whether institutional design kept pace with the scale of reforms—treating participation not as optics, but as the mechanism that turns governance into legitimacy.
Keynotes and dialogues connected macro vision with ground realities—linking infrastructure push, administrative reform, and sectoral performance to felt improvements in daily life. The summit’s through-line was clear: durable mandates emerge when systems deliver measurable value, and when governance is judged by outcomes that citizens can see, use, and trust. In that sense, “The Fifth Year” was both a report card and a blueprint for compounding gains in the years ahead.
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State of Inclusion asked a simple, consequential question: who is still outside India’s growth story—and why? The summit reframed inclusion as a design problem for policy and delivery, pushing beyond intent to examine whether public programmes, financial systems, and local institutions are actually reaching the last mile. It set out a pragmatic inclusion agenda grounded in evidence, field learning, and outcomes, convening policy thinkers, administrators, bankers, and civil society to align on what works and what must change.
Deliberations cut across financial access, social protection, and capability-building, spotlighting models that translate entitlement into usable service—timely credit for small producers, skilling that leads to employability, and local governance that closes leakages. Recognition at the summit reinforced this ethos, highlighting initiatives that demonstrably improved lives rather than merely expanding paperwork—an insistence that inclusion be measured by delivery, not declarations.
In spirit and practice, the summit argued that inclusion is the operating system of good governance. It called for course-corrections in both policy and implementation, better data about the excluded, and accountability loops that keep citizen outcomes at the centre. By doing so, State of Inclusion positioned inclusion not as an afterthought to growth, but as the engine that makes growth resilient, equitable, and real.
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“Jai Hind | Journey Continues – INDIA 2030” looked beyond celebration to chart a citizen-centred roadmap for a New India. It asked how India could translate reform gains into a purposeful march toward 2030—where inclusion, youth energy, and institutional trust become the flywheels of growth. The summit framed the moment as both stock-taking and agenda-setting, reflecting on reforms that lifted millions from poverty while inviting a fresh dialogue on the next horizon.
The programme’s Jai Hind keynotes pressed for practical pathways to a multi-trillion-dollar economy: mobilising investment, deepening digital public infrastructure, and aligning markets with national capability. Sessions and talks explored a “digital path to India 2030,” linking platforms and data to productivity, competitiveness, and jobs.
More than a commemorative milestone, the 50th summit positioned 2030 as a test of execution: can India compound reform into everyday outcomes that citizens feel? By tying ambition to delivery—through policy coherence, digital rails, and accountable institutions—it set the tone for the decade ahead: growth that is inclusive in design and measurable in effect.
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