Niti Aayog

PLI schemes strengthen investment, but MSME gains uneven: NITI Aayog report

NITI Aayog-IIM Ahmedabad assessment finds PLI schemes have attracted ₹2.40 trillion in investment, but benefits for MSMEs remain uneven, with employment reaching only 28 per cent of target

India imports over half its edible oil, faces food risks: NITI Aayog VC

India is perhaps still not secure regarding its food supply across the various products, as the country is the world's largest importer of edible oils, NITI Aayog vice-chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri said on Friday. Addressing an event here, Lahiri said India meets more than half of its edible oil needs through imports, and imports are estimated at 17 million metric tonnes, valued at about USD 20 billion. Similarly, India is both the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, and accounts for roughly a fourth of total global pulse consumption, approximately 25 to 27 million tonnes annually. "We are talking about Viksit Krishi in Viksit Bharat in 2047. As we move towards Viksit Bharat at 2047, are we secure regarding our food supply across the various products? Perhaps not as yet," he said. Lahiri observed that he was surprised to learn that chana (gram) which Indians eat comes from Australia, lentils masoor dal from Australia and Canada, and some pulses come from Myanmar, Africa,

Only 28% of PLI employment target met by FY26, says NITI Aayog report

NITI Aayog calls for sector-specific intervention, shift towards demand-side support

Nearly 70% of PLI scheme segments on track, says NITI Aayog report

A sector-wise assessment of PLI scheme shows that nearly 70 per cent of the targeted segments are on track, with particularly strong outcomes emerging in electronics, telecom and pharmaceuticals drugs, NITI Aayog said in a report on Thursday. As of March 2026, cumulatively the scheme has attracted investments of Rs 2,40,138 crore, generated production worth Rs 22,66,412 crore, created employment for 8,49,069 individuals, and disbursed Rs 35,354 crore in incentives. "The assessment indicates that the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme is beginning to generate meaningful additionality across several sectors. "...the sector-wise assessment of PLI scheme indicates that nearly 70 per cent of the targeted segments are broadly on track, with particularly strong outcomes emerging in electronics, telecom and pharmaceuticals drugs," the report 'Impact Assessment of PLI Schemes' said. The report pointed out that large scale electronics manufacturing (LSEM) with an outlay of Rs 34,193 cr

Urban centres can't be effectively run from state capitals: Rajiv Gauba

Gauba urged states to introduce structural reforms in municipal administration, adopt the Mayor-in-Council system and ensure timely municipal elections

Cities cannot be run from state capitals, says NITI Aayog's Rajiv Gauba

NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba calls for directly elected mayors, greater financial autonomy for urban local bodies and sweeping planning reforms as India's urban population is set to rise sharply

States must assess resource needs before approving data centres: NITI Aayog

A NITI Aayog report called on states to look beyond investment announcements and assess whether they have the electricity, water, land, and supporting infra needed to sustain data-centre projects.

Govt forms Ramesh Chand-led panel to examine sugarcane farmers' demands

The panel will review sugarcane farmers' returns, the minimum selling price of sugar, recovery testing and deductions in mechanically harvested cane

Starlink services in India need to be affordable: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

India could and should challenge Musk's monopoly in space-based communications: Ex-NITI Aayog V-C

India working on 'Gross Domestic Knowledge Product', says NITI member

NITI Aayog member R Balasubramaniam says the proposed GDKP will help identify India's knowledge assets as AI advances, while urging universities to focus on competencies

Niti Aayog member Rajiv Gauba calls for light-touch regulation for growth

Gauba said the state should be firm where risks are high and light-touch where risks are low, while remaining predictable in both cases

Regulation must manage risks while supporting growth: NITI Aayog's Gauba

The NITI Aayog member said regulation should be calibrated to risk while remaining predictable for businesses

Govt should retain zero-fee UPI for few more years: NITI Aayog's former VC

NITI Aayog's former vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar on Monday suggested the government to continue with zero-fee UPI transactions for at least a few more years until the currency-to-GDP ratio shows some tendency to decline, and then review the situation. Kumar told PTI that he is not in favour of charging any fee from merchants for using UPI for any transaction value, and the government should treat it as a public good with extensive positive externalities. "Their overall benefits well far outweigh the cost of Rs 20,000 crore that the public exchequer has to bear for maintaining the UPI infrastructure. "...so let's continue with zero-fee UPI transactions for at least a few more years until the currency-to-GDP ratio shows some tendency to decline," he said. While 96 per cent of unit transactions are less than Rs 2,000, it is estimated that nearly 66 per cent of transactions by value are above this level. "This presents a very significant opportunity for transactions to shift back to cash

Delhi tops NITI Aayog's electric mobility index 2025, Maharashtra follows

The index assesses states and UTs on key parameters such as transport electrification, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and research and innovation

India needs inclusive growth to become developed country by 2047: NITI CEO

India has made reasonable progress on economic growth, and it needs inclusive growth to become a developed country by 2047, NITI Aayog CEO Anurag Jain said on Friday. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, Jain said some states have done extremely well on health and education parameters as well. "But there are certain states which are lagging behind, so we need to concentrate on them also," Jain said. He said India has a good foundation to achieve prosperity by 2047 through economic inclusion, where everyone has reasonable education and access to skills for gainful employment or entrepreneurship. "We want inclusive growth for becoming a developed nation ... At the same time, on the income side, when you measure the per capita income, it is not only that ... we need to ensure how many people are actually the lowest 10 per cent or 20 per cent of the population," Jain said. Talking about technology, he said nobody knows what the future is going to be like. "I am confident that what

Next-generation reform architecture to be defined by deregulation: Gauba

Niti Aayog Member Rajiv Gauba says the next phase of reforms must dismantle the maze of permissions, approvals and renewals burdening businesses and citizens

UPI data can help bring informal sector into formal credit: NITI's Lahiri

NITI Aayog's Ashok Lahiri said transaction data generated through UPI could improve credit appraisal and risk pricing, helping bring MSMEs into the formal lending system

Ladakh's development must leverage its unique strengths: NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok K Lahiri has emphasised that Ladakh's development strategy should build on its unique strengths, including its natural resources, cultural heritage and renewable-energy potential. He stressed that these advantages must be harnessed in a manner that ensures environmental sustainability and generates livelihood opportunities for the people of the Union territory. Lahiri was chairing a meeting with senior administrative officers, including chief secretary Ashish Kundra, here to review the ongoing projects and key challenges in infrastructure, connectivity, education, tourism, energy, water and employment, an official spokesperson said on Sunday. In the meeting on Saturday, Kundra briefed everyone about Ladakh's finances and highlighted major economic challenges facing the the Union territory. , along with sector-wise GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product), GSVA (Gross State Value Addition) and employment trends. Responding to the chief secretary's request f

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