Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a comprehensive review of the Centre's next phase of governance reforms on Tuesday, focusing on advancing the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, according to sources. The nearly four-hour meeting was attended by around 80 government secretaries and was led by T. V. Somanathan. Each secretary presented the views and recommendations of their respective ministry or department during the session, with discussions focusing on deregulation and reforms to improve ease of doing business and ease of living, and advancing the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat agenda. The meeting was held about a month after a meeting of the council of ministers where Modi had said the government shall leave no stone unturned to further 'ease of living', 'ease of doing business' and increase opportunities for youngsters.
The meeting assessed ministry-wise reform priorities, measures to improve administrative efficiency and initiatives to strengthen last-mile delivery of public services, as reported by sources. The review covered comprehensive steps to enhance ease of doing business, accelerate digital governance and further the government's deregulation agenda. Secretaries outlined the key initiatives being undertaken by their respective ministries in line with these priorities, highlighting progress on implementing the Prime Minister's vision while flagging sector-specific challenges and proposed policy interventions to strengthen governance and public service delivery. PM Modi called for a whole-of-government approach, urging ministries to break departmental silos and work in a more coordinated manner. During the interaction, the secretaries outlined the major steps being taken by their ministries and departments in line with the two key themes, while also discussing sector-specific challenges and outlining their future strategies to enhance governance and service delivery.
The Prime Minister stressed the wider use of the PM GatiShakti platform to improve inter-ministerial coordination and support better-informed decision-making, according to sources. This platform integration is designed to enhance coordination across different government departments and improve the effectiveness of policy implementation. The focus on inter-ministerial coordination reflects the government's commitment to streamlining bureaucratic processes and ensuring that policy decisions are informed by comprehensive data and insights from multiple ministries. Modi highlighted the importance of integrated planning and coordination, encouraging wider utilisation of the 'PM GatiShakti' as an effective platform for inter-departmental coordination and informed decision-making.
The governance reform review was specifically designed to advance the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, indicating the government's commitment to long-term development planning. The meeting's focus on this strategic vision suggests that the reforms are part of a broader framework for transforming India's governance structure and service delivery mechanisms by the target year of 2047. Modi has already set the government's goal of turning India into a developed country by 2047, when it celebrates 100 years of its independence. He had earlier outlined the reform priorities for the next 10 years, asserting that his government's 'Reform Express' has delivered systemic transformation and benefitted citizens in a significant way. The meeting's focus on this strategic vision builds on the reform agenda outlined by Modi during the Council of Ministers meeting on June 21, where he emphasized the government's continued focus on improving Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business while creating more opportunities for India's youth.
The interaction was among the first full-secretary-level review meetings chaired by the Prime Minister in the current financial year and was aimed at aligning the bureaucracy with the government's reform priorities for the second half of 2026, according to sources. PM Modi further asked secretaries to keep the real-world impact of government schemes on citizens at the centre of policy implementation, ensuring that all reform initiatives are grounded in practical benefits for citizens and align with the government's broader development objectives. Modi exhorted the secretaries to focus on the tangible impact of schemes on the lives of people, emphasizing that all reform initiatives should be grounded in practical benefits for citizens and align with the government's broader development objectives.
