India highlights SDG progress at UN Forum

New Delhi

India showcased its progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a major United Nations meet by presenting its third Voluntary National Review (VNR) Report. The report, led by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, was shared at the UN’s High-Level Political Forum. It reflects a national push involving government, civil society, and private sectors working together.

Bery said it was a chance to show how economic growth, local efforts, infrastructure development, and targeted welfare schemes have turned SDGs into a national movement. The 2025 report was prepared through wide consultations with states, Union Territories, and development partners, supported by the UNDP.

Key achievements include lifting 248 million people out of multidimensional poverty and ensuring food security through PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. Schemes like POSHAN Abhiyaan and Ayushman Bharat have improved access to nutrition and healthcare, while energy initiatives like PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana support India’s clean energy goals.

India has also become the world’s third-largest startup hub. Infrastructure programmes such as Make in India, PM Gati Shakti, and Industrial Corridor projects are shaping modern development. The report praises India’s digital public infrastructure based on the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) system, now seen as a global model.

Data tools like the SDG Index and Multi-dimensional Poverty Index are helping track progress. Local-focused efforts like the Aspirational Districts Programme ensure no area is left behind.

India’s SDG agenda links directly with its long-term goal of becoming a developed country (Viksit Bharat) by 2047, with a focus on inclusion, innovation, and strong institutions.