New Delhi: Ahead of the Union Budget for 2026–27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with a group of eminent economists and policy experts at NITI Aayog, underscoring the need to build world-class capabilities, deepen global integration and anchor policymaking firmly to India’s long-term vision for 2047.

The interaction was held on the theme ‘Aatmanirbharta and Structural Transformation: Agenda for Viksit Bharat’, with the Prime Minister stressing that budgeting and economic reforms must remain aligned to transform India into a developed nation by its centenary year of Independence.

Modi said India must position itself as a vital hub for the global workforce and international markets, noting that the aspiration of Viksit Bharat has gone beyond a government programme to become a mass national resolve embraced by citizens across sectors.

During the deliberations, participating economists shared strategic insights on enhancing productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency across both the manufacturing and services sectors. They observed that the unprecedented pace of cross-sectoral reforms undertaken in 2025, along with their planned consolidation in the coming year, would help India sustain its trajectory as one of the fastest-growing major economies, while strengthening economic fundamentals and unlocking new growth opportunities.

The discussions focused on accelerating structural transformation through higher household savings, sustained infrastructure creation and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. A significant part of the interaction centred on the role of artificial intelligence as a catalyst for cross-sectoral productivity gains, as well as the continued scaling and global relevance of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was present at the meeting, along with Principal Secretaries to the Prime Minister P. K. Mishra and Shaktikanta Das. Also in attendance were NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran, and NITI Aayog CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, besides other members of the Aayog.

A wide range of leading economists and experts participated in the discussion, including former Chief Economic Adviser Shankar Acharya, Ashok K. Bhattacharya, N. R. Bhanumurthy, former RBI MPC member Ashima Goyal, Dharmakirti Joshi, Umakant Dash, Pinaki Chakraborty, Indranil Sen Gupta, Samiran Chakraborty, Abhiman Das, Rahul Bajoria, Monika Halan, and Siddhartha Sanyal.

The interaction is expected to feed into the Union Budget process, with an emphasis on sustaining reform momentum, boosting competitiveness and steering India decisively towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.