Progress in India enabled by dual strategy of strong safety nets, reforms that foster growth: NITI Aayog VC

New Delhi: India’s progress across various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been enabled by a dual strategy that encompasses strong safety nets and reforms that foster growth through a more enabling environment, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Suman Bery has said.
Bery pointed out that 240 million Indians escaped from multi-dimensional poverty in the decade between 2013-14 and 2022-23, and social protection coverage has more than doubled since 2015.
India is on track to achieve health targets for maternal, child and infant mortality before 2030, the target year of the SDGs, he said.
“Our progress in India has been enabled by a dual strategy – strong safety nets to protect the most vulnerable and reforms that foster growth through a more enabling environment and ease of doing business, making India the fastest growing major economy today,” Bery said.
Bery delivered the keynote address at a high-level side event titled ‘SDGs: Keeping up the Momentum for Agenda 2030′ hosted on Friday by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in collaboration with NITI Aayog on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
On climate action, India has achieved a landmark in its energy transition journey by reaching 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources—five years ahead of the target set under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement.
Bery noted that these achievements are indicative of the fact that India has put in place a delivery mechanism to deliver on international commitments.
“India takes those international commitments seriously,” he said.
He showcased India’s pioneering work in building world-class Digital Public Infrastructure, promoting financial inclusion, and enabling data-driven governance as transformative tools for sustainable development.