First, 40% of our GDP is foreign trade, so our share of international trade must simply increase. In particular, our share of global exports, which hovers around 2%, should rise to 10%.

Second, our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which was just short of $100 billion this last year, must also grow manifold.

In order for the above two things to happen, the Government of India must carry out deep-seated economic reforms in areas such as land, labor, power, agriculture, infrastructure, and regulatory obstacles.

While there is no question that the GDP must accelerate, that alone is not enough. Growth must be inclusive; it must percolate to the downtrodden people at the bottom of the pyramid.

The government has conceived excellent schemes, such as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. But going beyond that, job creation for the youth must become a national mantra for both the Central and State Governments.

Since it is not possible for the government alone – or even the organized sector – to provide all the jobs that are necessary, it is vitally important to enable an ecosystem where the youth become entrepreneurs and job creators rather than be mere job seekers.

Present levels of economic inequality are unsustainable, and efforts must be made to make the society much more egalitarian.

It is well recognized that our education system relies heavily on rote learning, and it churns out thousands of graduates every year who may not be immediately employable. In this context, skilling and re-skilling graduates becomes crucial.

The idea of vocational training, industry-academic collaboration and imparting tech skills (including AI) for our graduates must assume mission-mode importance.

Spending on education – in both the public and private sectors – must increase exponentially, especially in states that lag the national average. In parallel, Research and Development must be given prime importance in all relevant institutions.

A population close to 1.5 billion can indeed be a demographic dividend for India. But that is true only if the population is skilled enough to face the challenges of a knowledge economy.

India’s healthcare system is undergoing dramatic transformation, driven by digitalization and by infrastructure expansion. But challenges remain on account of rising medical costs and a growing chronic disease burden.

The government has undertaken significant efforts such as Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Arogya Mandir schemes, which have made a big impact on providing healthcare in the country.

Medical college seats have more than doubled since 2014 in an attempt to bridge the doctor-patient gap. Successful attempts have also been made to promote India as a global hub for medical tourism.

Despite all this, serious challenges remain.

Public spending on healthcare still lags desired levels. India also runs the risk of becoming the global capital for heart disease and diabetes.

India therefore needs to continue its massive transformation of public health infrastructure to make it accessible, affordable, and quality-driven for the vast majority of its population.