By: Amb Anil Trigunayat

As India embarked on its fast-paced, human-centric developmental journey to become a developed country—“Viksit Bharat @2047”—by the time it completes 100 years of independence, the past decade has been exceptional across the national and strategic spectrum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to dispense with the slavish mentality and rise with the mantra of reform, perform, and transform has already begun to yield remarkable dividends. Over 1,550 archaic and cumbersome laws were repealed, and jurisprudence updated. From ranking 130th in 2017 on the World Bank’s Doing Business Index, India rapidly moved up to 63rd place, resulting in a significant increase in Foreign Direct Investment.

The innovation ecosystem has produced 1.6 million startups—up from just 500 ten years ago—with 118 unicorns. Moving from the “fragile five” to becoming the 4th largest economy in a decade is a remarkable achievement by any standard. According to Bloomberg, based on IMF data, China, India, and the USA are projected to be the three global growth engines from 2025 to 2030.

Leadership in climate change and clean energy

India has also emerged as a key proponent in the fight against climate change and a vocal opponent of “Green Apartheid.” India has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, but by all accounts, this target may be reached much earlier. In 2015, India, along with France, launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA)—perhaps the most consequential initiative since the Non-Aligned Movement of the 1950s.

A monumental achievement is that 50% of India’s installed electricity capacity now comes from non-fossil sources. This is integral to India’s energy security, which is essential for it to continue as the fastest-growing major economy in the world. India is converting ambition and aspiration into action. Not only did India launch another global initiative, the Global Biofuels Alliance, during its G20 Presidency in September 2023, but it also met ethanol blending targets well ahead of schedule. The same applies to its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), where India was the first and fastest to comply.

Pandemic response and healthcare expansion

The pandemic hit the world hard in an unprecedented way, but India’s response was unique because it was driven by its guiding principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—“the world is one family.” While powerful countries hoarded vaccines and medicines for geopolitical reasons, India not only manufactured its own but also produced vaccines for others, including the UK and Russia, providing billions of doses to over 100 countries as part of its Vaccine Maitri (“Vaccine Friendship”) outreach.

More importantly, India had to cater to the one-sixth of the world’s population living within its borders. As healthcare became a fundamental priority, India launched the government-financed insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which has expanded substantially since 2014. This massive government healthcare program has issued over 345 million Ayushman cards and empaneled 29,914 hospitals. More than 65 million authorized hospital admissions have taken place under the scheme, which has been extended to include senior citizens over 70.

Agricultural reforms and food security

India remains an essentially agricultural country, with farmers forming the backbone of the nation and its food security. At the WTO Doha rounds, India has consistently stood for the interests of a large number of developing countries.

Prime Minister Modi announced the goal of doubling farmers’ income through various grassroots initiatives, including:

• Soil health cards for all farmers
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which offers very low premiums for crop insurance

Launched in 2015, PMKSY supports the use of micro-irrigation technologies. Not surprisingly, over the past decade, food grain production increased from 252 million tonnes to 332 million tonnes.

Fighting poverty and food security programs

Fighting poverty has been one of the Indian government’s biggest tasks. Operating one of the world’s largest food security programs, the Targeted Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act covers 81.35 crore (over 800 million) beneficiaries, providing food grains to rural and urban populations.

Recent decisions, such as extending free food grain distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another five years, exemplify the government’s commitment.

Self-reliance and defense

Self-Reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) has become the key to “Make in India for the World” and “local for global” strategies, integrating India into global value and supply chains as it emerges as a smart manufacturing hub and services center.

With its zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, India’s indigenous defense systems decisively struck during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-based terror hideouts.

Space and digital leadership

India has excelled not only in space exploration—from the first-ever landing on the lunar south pole by Chandrayaan to the upcoming Gaganyaan missions—but also through its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Unique Digital Identity (Aadhaar), coupled with an exceptionally large number of bank accounts for direct benefit distribution.

By linking Aadhaar with Jan Dhan bank accounts and mobile numbers—the “JAM” Trinity—the government streamlined the delivery of social welfare programs, reducing fraud and ensuring benefits reached intended recipients efficiently. This proved particularly crucial during the pandemic, enabling swift and targeted disbursement of financial aid to those most in need.

All these digital tools, apps, and public goods have been made available globally, especially to developing countries. Initiatives such as AI for All, One Earth One Health, and One Grid One World are not mere slogans but policy directives of a resurgent India rooted in its civilizational ethos.

Foreign policy and global leadership

In a fractured world order, India’s sane and value-based foreign policy has become robust, resilient, and results-oriented, seeking to comprehensively enhance its power spectrum through strategic autonomy and multi-alignments, while promoting reformed multilateralism and multipolarity.

This was evident recently when Prime Minister Modi was invited by PM Mark Carney to the G7 Summit in Canada, despite cooler ties, because his presence was considered important.

India is increasingly becoming a rule-shaper—from G7 to G20 to BRICS and beyond—serving the interests of the Global South by example, advocacy, and credible leadership while pursuing inclusivity and human-centric approaches.

(Amb Anil Trigunayat is a former Indian Ambassador and a Distinguished Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation)