Kolkata, March 13, 2024 — Khola Hawa, a socio-cultural organisation dedicated to intellectual exchange and cultural engagement, organised a landmark event titled “Viksit Bharat Ambassador Kolkata Meet Up” at the Ashutosh Birth Centenary Hall, Indian Museum. The programme brought together policymakers, scholars, and citizens to deliberate on India’s developmental roadmap, with a special focus on the role of youth and public participation in shaping the nation’s future.

At the heart of the discussions was the vision of Viksit Bharat, India’s ambition to transform into a fully developed nation by 2047, its 100th year of independence. Framed as the largest citizen-driven initiative in recent history, the programme seeks to empower individuals to take responsibility for local development while contributing to the country’s overall progress.

The event featured distinguished speakers including Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas & Urban Development Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, senior advocate and Viksit Bharat Ambassador Shri Hitesh Jain, and renowned historian Dr. Swapan Dasgupta, who also serves as the President of Khola Hawa.

• Shri Hitesh Jain stressed the importance of grassroots involvement in nation-building. He remarked, “We must lead by example in our communities. Nation-building begins at the grassroots.” His words resonated strongly with the youth, students, and social activists present, highlighting the essence of citizen responsibility in the Viksit Bharat mission.
• Swapan Dasgupta, in his address, emphasised the need to rise above political divides for the sake of development. “Development should not be a victim of political divides,” he observed, urging all states to unite under a common national agenda. He underlined that only collective effort can drive India towards its vision of becoming a developed nation.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri outlined India’s remarkable economic growth—from the 11th to the 5th largest economy in a decade—with projections of becoming the 3rd largest by 2047. He highlighted transformative achievements such as the growth of over 1.17 lakh startups, rapid expansion of educational institutions, affordable energy reforms, and urban infrastructure projects like the Kolkata Metro expansion and Mumbai Coastal Road.

Speakers also lauded initiatives such as PM SVANidhi, Ujala, and the Swachh Bharat Mission, along with the emphasis on women’s empowerment—citing that 72% of homes under the PM Awas Yojana are registered in women’s names. At the same time, concerns were raised about uneven implementation of central schemes across states, particularly in West Bengal.

The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where the spotlight turned to India’s youth. With over 860 million registered voters and an increasingly tech-savvy generation, the message was clear: the future of Viksit Bharat rests on active citizen participation, visionary planning, and unity of purpose.

The Viksit Bharat Ambassador Kolkata Meet Up thus emerged as a clarion call for inclusive growth, collective responsibility, and the shared dream of a prosperous India by 2047.