SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2025
11 Years of Inclusive Growth: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on India over the Years
India’s development model it has touched many lives over 11 years of inclusive growth, wrote Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Published on Jun 10, 2025
By EMN
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- A new Bharat is taking shape—where progress is measured not only in GDP, but in dignity and opportunity. Annam Lakshmi Bhavani, a homemaker from Kadapa, secures the Mudra loan to start a successful jute bag manufacturing unit. Jagdev Singh in Haryana makes decisions related to his crops using an AI app. And, Meera Manjhi gets LPG connection under Ujjwala, ensuring a smokeless kitchen and more quality time with her children.
- These are everyday realities of villages, towns, and cities across Bharat. These transformations stem from structural reforms and a leadership that believes in empowering the last citizen.
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- Antyodaya in action
- From the very beginning, our guiding philosophy has been antyodaya—uplifting the people at the bottom of pyramid. Every policy, every investment, and every innovation over the past 11 years has been shaped by this vision.
- This vision, guided by the leadership of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, is based on four simple yet powerful pillars. Building infrastructure that connects, growth that is inclusive, manufacturing that creates jobs, and simplifying systems that empower.
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- Pillar 1: Investment in Infrastructure
- Capital expenditure has grown significantly in last eleven years, reaching INR 11.2 lakh crore in 2025-26. This surge in public investment is most visible in India’s infrastructure - physical, digital, and social.
- Over the last 11 years, physical infrastructure in Bharat has grown at a rapid pace. Nearly 59,000 kilometers of highways have been built, and over 37,500 kilometers of railway tracks laid.
- Recently, the Chenab and Anji bridges were inaugurated—symbols of a modern Bharat. For the people of Kashmir, the arrival of Vande Bharat through these bridges felt like a dream. One traveller, with tears in his eyes, said he never thought this day would come.
- This spirit of connectivity goes beyond railways to digital highways. India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has become a global benchmark. UPI, Aadhaar, and DigiLocker are now studied globally their scale and inclusiveness. Over 141 crore Aadhar registrations and everyday 60 crore UPI transactions signify its reach and acceptance. The idea behind this is simple: democratise technology for all.
- The same vision drives the IndiaAI Mission. Over 34,000 high-speed computer chips, known as GPUs, are now available to all. That too at just one-third the global cost. These chips are needed as part of AI development, especially training of AI models. To support this further, the AIKosha platform offers over 370 datasets and 200 ready-to-use AI models for learning and innovation.
- This focus on accessibility extends beyond tech to education, healthcare, and basic services. Over the 11 years, Medical colleges have grown from 387 to 780, and AIIMS institutions from 7 to 23. MBBS and PG seats have also more than doubled. This demonstrates a strong commitment to making quality education and healthcare accessible to all.
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- Pillar 2: Inclusive growth
- The most powerful validation of our development model is in the lives it has touched. Over 530 million Jan Dhan accounts have been opened—more than the population of Europe. 40 million homes have been built, 120 million toilets constructed, and 100 million families now cook with clean LPG instead of wood fire.
- Tap water connections have also reached 140 million households under “Har Ghar Jal.” Health insurance under Ayushman Bharat covers 350 million people, and 110 million farmers now receive direct income support through PM-KISAN.
- These numbers come alive through the stories like that of Meera Manjhi, the 10th crore Ujjwala beneficiary. She mentions how INR 2.5 lakh was credited directly to her bank account without any middleman. She now has tap water through Har Ghar Jal, free ration every month, and a smokeless kitchen under Ujjwala.
- This is inclusive growth at a magnitude not seen during any period in our recent history.
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- Pillar 3: Manufacturing and Innovation
- In 2015, we launched Make in India to create jobs and revive industrial growth. Today, electronics manufacturing has increased 6 times to cross INR 12 lakh crore. Electronics exports have increased 8 times to cross INR 3 lakh crore to become among the top exported goods. Bharat is now the second largest mobile phone producer.
- We are now deepening the manufacturing value chain by producing electronic components under the new Electronic Components Manufacturing Scheme.
- Simultaneously, India’s semiconductor mission is moving from a blueprint to breakthrough. The country’s first commercial fab is under construction. Five OSAT units are underway. And over 20 chipsets with indigenous IP have been designed by students and engineers in India. We have onboarded 270 universities with world-class EDA tools. This is laying the foundation for a semiconductor talent pipeline that the world can rely on.
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- Pillar 4: Simplification of Laws
- A silent revolution of the last decade has been in governance. Over 1,500 old laws were repealed and 40,000+ compliances removed. New laws like Telecom Act and DPDP Act are built on trust & simplicity, treating citizens with dignity, not suspicion. This has encouraged investment, innovation, and formalisation, creating a virtuous cycle of growth
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- Modi doctrine
- Bharat’s approach to terror has changed in these 11 years. From surgical strike, air strike and now Operation Sindoor, Bharat has shown clarity and courage in fight against terror. Each response reflects a swift, decisive action—on our own terms.
- This new way of responding to terror attacks is part of the Modi doctrine. It is based on three pillars. Decisive retaliation on Bharat’s terms, zero tolerance for nuclear blackmail, and no distinction between terrorists and their sponsors.
- What made our response this time even more significant was the use of indigenous technologies and capabilities. A nation aspiring to become viksit must not only defend its people but do so with Atmanirbharta—and Bharat did exactly that.
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- Trust
- Earlier growth used to be measured in numbers. Today, it’s measured in the lives transformed. A homemaker who became an employer. A Farmer using AI app in agriculture. A mother whose kitchen no longer fills with smoke. These are quiet revolutions happening across the country.
- In 2004, at the end of Atal ji’s tenure, India was the 11th largest economy in the world. Between 2004 and 2014, India remained at the 11th position, reflecting a decade of missed momentum. In the past decade, Bharat regained momentum due to the reformist policies of PM Modi. Today, we are firmly on the path to become the third-largest economy in the world.
- Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, these 11 years of inclusive growth have given people something more valuable than subsidies or services. They’ve given them a belief. And a firm belief in a better future is what keeps the nation going.
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- Ashwini Vaishnaw
- Union Minister for Railways, Electronics & Information Technology, and Information & Broadcasting
Nagaland Districts
