PM Modi asks states to provide environment for start-ups to flourish

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked states to work towards providing an environment where start-ups can flourish, simplify the compliances that often lead to harassment of citizens and take obesity as a big challenge.

Addressing the fourth national conference of chief secretaries here, he said states should reform governance model in such a way that encourages citizen participation, according to an official statement.

Modi said it is important to focus on reform, perform, and transform, and that it is also important to inform people about various initiatives of the government.

In the health sector, he urged the participants that obesity should be taken as a big challenge in the country. Only a fit and healthy India can be a 'Viksit Bharat', he added.

The prime minister said India can be made tuberculosis-free by the end of 2025, and that ASHA and Anganwadi workers can play a big role in delivering this goal.

Asserting that old manuscripts were India's treasure, he said states should take steps to use technology to digitize it.

He said a great benefit of the conference was that "Team India" had come together for discussion with an open mind and work together for a 'Viksit Bharat'.

Pro-People Pro-active Good Governance (P2G2) is at the core of their work through which they can together achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat, he added.

The conference included discussions around the overarching theme of 'Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment and Skilling --“ Leveraging the Demographic Dividend'.

Lauding the advent of start-ups, especially in tier-2 and 3 cities, the prime minister asked states to encourage such innovations and work towards providing an environment where start-ups can flourish.

"He urged states to identify locations suitable for entrepreneurs in smaller cities and take initiative to connect them with the banking system, provide logistics and facilitate them," the statement said.

Modi asked states to explore concepts of Viability Gap Funding for recycling of e-waste. This is particularly important as with increasing data and technology driven society, digital waste will further increase, he said.

While appreciating that PM GatiShakti has been a key enabler for good governance, he also said that the initiative must be regularly updated and indicators for environmental impacts, disaster prone areas should be included in it.

Talking about Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme, he said that competent officers posted in these blocks and districts can bring about massive changes at the ground level. It would also lead to immense socio-economic benefits, he added.

Modi also encouraged officials to work for human resources development in order to develop cities as centres of economic growth. He emphasized on developing institutions for specialization in urban governance, water and environment management.

With increasing urban mobility, he stressed on providing adequate urban accommodation which would in turn lead to better productivity in the manufacturing sector in new industrial hubs.

Noting that it was the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Modi lauded him as an inspiration for all civil servants and said that everyone should work towards achieving his dream of India.

As men, women and children from all walks of life participated in the freedom struggle despite their different circumstances, ideological differences and different means, similarly every Indian must work towards making Viksit Bharat by 2047, he said.

The three-day conference, which ended on Sunday, emphasised on special themes that included manufacturing, services, rural non-farm sector, urban, renewable energy, and circular economy.

Various sessions during the conference deliberated to work around subjects which would help in collaborative action in promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling initiatives, and creating sustainable employment opportunities for both rural and urban populations thereby helping in the transition of India from middle income to high income country.

These initiatives can emerge as the driving wheels for the economy with women-led development as the foundation, the statement said.

The participants discussed that a multifaceted approach is required to harness the potential of India's service sector, especially in smaller cities, it said.

This involves a combination of policy interventions, infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and a focus on creating a business-friendly environment, the statement added.

Emphasis on skilling and formalization of the informal sector was also discussed.

Similarly in the rural non-farm sector, it was discussed that rural entrepreneurship should be promoted through specific skilling courses. It was also felt that women and marginalized groups' participation in non-farm employment should also be encouraged through special incentives, the statement said.

The conference had a special session on frontier technologies representing convergence of various fields which can help in providing solutions to global challenges.

It also could provide India an opportunity to lead in this arena and have a trajectory of inclusive and sustainable growth, the statement said.

The conference was attended by chief secretaries, senior officials of all states and Union territories, domain experts and senior officers in the Centre, it said.