While Kerala has performed remarkably well on human development indicators, the State needs to ensure high-quality economic growth to sustain the hard-earned gains, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery has said.
Mr. Bery, who took over as the Vice Chairman in May 2022, was speaking on ‘Indian States in Viksit Bharat: Some Implications of India’s G20 Presidency’ at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) here.
“I think Kerala very much sees that its future also depends on creating a favourable investment environment for growth,” he said, observing that the youth need to be provided with optimism about domestic opportunities. And that, he said, can only come with growth.
On challenges faced by the State, he said Kerala had scope for improvement in water management, innovation and export preparedness. Further, it would need to address the twin demographic challenges of shrinking working-age population and a higher representation of the older population.
Different approach
Speaking on the development paradigms for States, Mr. Bery said the ‘one size fits all’ concept is not going to work for the states as it may not reflect local realities. There is also a need to encourage the States to learn from each other, he said, pointing out that Viksit Bharat was about the States. ‘‘Every State must be developed by leveraging its unique characteristics. The trajectory of demographic transition is different in every State,” he noted.
On India’s G20 Presidency, Mr. Bery observed that 2023, in many ways, was “a coming-out party” for Indian strategic and economic diplomacy. Robust economy, advanced technological capabilities and the position of a major geopolitical player underline India’s important position in the current global space, he said.
Mr. Bery likened the Amrit Kaal vision to the Les Trente Glorieuses (‘The Glorious Thirty’), the eventful 30-year period following World War II which saw France emerge as a major power.
Former Ambassador T. P. Sreenivasan chaired the session. CDS Director C. Veeramani also spoke.
