Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on states to actively promote manufacturing, improve Ease of Doing Business and strengthen the services sector, with the goal of positioning India as a Global Services Giant. He also emphasised the need to boost food exports to unlock India’s potential as a major supplier in global markets.
Addressing the concluding day of the three-day Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi, the Prime Minister outlined a collective roadmap for the Centre and states to make India self-reliant, empower the underprivileged and achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat, officials said.
Sharing his thoughts on X, PM Modi said the conference focused on the theme “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat” and highlighted ways in which governments at all levels can work together to strengthen India’s development journey. He stressed the importance of maintaining high standards across sectors, including governance, service delivery and manufacturing.
“Quality must define everything we do — quality in governance, quality in delivery and quality in manufacturing. We must make ‘Made in India’ synonymous with excellence and reinforce our commitment to ‘Zero Effect, Zero Defect’,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that India is currently witnessing a phase of next-generation reforms, driven largely by its young population. “India has boarded the Reform Express, and its main engine is our youth and demographic strength. Empowering this human capital is our top priority,” he said.
Highlighting governance reforms, PM Modi said significant steps have been taken to create a modern work culture in administration and public service delivery, supported by the use of advanced technologies to improve citizens’ lives. He added that discussions at the conference also covered skill development, higher education, youth empowerment and sports.
The Prime Minister underscored India’s capacity to emerge as the world’s food basket, urging a shift towards high-value agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries. “By focusing on these sectors, India can become a leading food exporter,” he said.
Calling upon states to take a proactive approach, PM Modi urged them to foster manufacturing, simplify regulations and enhance the services sector. “Let us work together to make India a Global Services Giant,” he said.
The conference marked another step in strengthening Centre–State cooperation through structured dialogue on national priorities, rooted in the Prime Minister’s vision of cooperative federalism. It aimed to move beyond viewing India’s population merely as a demographic dividend and instead recognise citizens as valuable human capital.
Discussions during the conference focused on five core areas — early childhood education, schooling, skilling, higher education, sports and extracurricular activities. Six special sessions addressed topics such as deregulation, technology in governance, AgriStack for smart supply chains, One State One World-Class Tourist Destination, Aatmanirbhar Bharat and planning for a post-Left Wing Extremism future.
Additional sessions examined heritage and manuscript preservation, digitisation and the integration of traditional knowledge under the Ayush for All initiative.
Held annually for the past four years, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries brings together Chief Secretaries and senior officials from all states and Union Territories, along with domain experts, to chart a unified and future-ready development agenda for the country.