Niti Aayog governing council meeting: PM Modi calls for district GDP estimates, Chief Ministers press for affordable energy

Members who attended the meeting said energy and a redoubled manufacturing push were the focal points of the meeting, and several Chief Ministers raised the need for energy availability at competitive prices and support in spreading solar infrastructure so that dependency of households on the grid is reduced. The issue of affordable energy comes amid rising fuel prices in the backdrop of the West Asia crisis.

NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Ashok Kumar Lahiri said, “On energy, there was a lot of discussion… on making energy prices competitive and making reliable energy available. The governing council members also talked about spreading solar energy on rooftops, in residential buildings, in schools, hospitals and government buildings so that dependence of households on grid electricity is reduced and the subsidy problem becomes manageable.”

The Prime Minister, according to the official statement, emphasised on women-led development. He asked the states to work on increasing the number of Lakhpati Didis from 3 crore to 6 crore and stressed the importance of ensuring a safe and secure environment for Nari Shakti.

“The Prime Minister urged states to focus on One District One Product (ODOP) initiatives and develop export-oriented strategies around it. He also identified defence manufacturing as an emerging sector where India is establishing a distinct identity, and encouraged states to formulate policies to leverage the opportunities arising from its growth,” the statement said.

(From right) Chief Ministers D K Shivakumar, Hemant Soren, Nayab Singh Saini, and Rekha Gupta at NITI Aayog meeting, Thursday. (ANI)

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, in a social media post, said he requested the Prime Minister’s intervention in expediting approvals and support for crucial projects such as Hyderabad Metro Rail expansion, Regional Ring Road, 12-lane expressway from Future City to Bandar seaport in Andhra Pradesh, airports at Warangal and Adilabad, among others.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a post on X, said he discussed key issues concerning J&K, including the early restoration of statehood, the state of the economy and the pace of development.

Abdullah said there is a need for continued support from the Centre to accelerate economic growth, strengthen connectivity, generate employment, expand infrastructure and enhance public welfare across J&K.

To prepare Jharkhand’s youth for jobs in emerging sectors such as AI, green energy and other tech industries, Chief Minister Hemant Soren sought Central assistance for an estimated Rs 800-crore project to establish a Skill University and a FinTech University in the state.

Soren said rapid technological changes driven by AI, automation and the green economy were reshaping the nature of work and that states needed to equip young people with future-ready skills. He said Jharkhand was expanding training programmes in areas such as solar technology, EV repair, drone operations, healthcare and digital services to improve employability and meet emerging industry demands.