PM Modi directs secretaries to prioritise ease of business, living, and self-reliance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday instructed secretaries of all union ministries and departments to ensure that government schemes have a tangible impact on people's lives, while also boosting self-reliance. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Office, was attended by nearly 80 secretaries, including Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan.

Modi focused on three key themes: ease of doing business, ease of living, and self-reliance. He emphasised the need for deregulation and reforms to achieve these goals. The prime minister stressed a whole-of-government approach, urging departments to work together rather than in isolation.

Highlighting the importance of integrated planning and coordination, Modi encouraged wider use of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. The plan, launched in October 2021, aims to provide multimodal connectivity to economic zones and break departmental silos. It is based on six pillars: comprehensiveness, prioritisation, optimisation through identification of critical gaps, synchronisation among ministries, analytics, and dynamic review and monitoring of cross-sectoral projects using technology.

During the interaction, secretaries outlined steps their ministries are taking to align with the themes of self-reliance, ease of doing business, and ease of living. They presented reform measures and progress across sectors, highlighting efforts to translate the prime minister's vision into actionable outcomes. Sector-specific challenges were also discussed, along with future strategies to enhance governance and service delivery, according to government sources.

The meeting comes amid speculation of a cabinet reshuffle. Modi has previously stated that the 'Reform Express' will continue to gain momentum to achieve the government's vision of a prosperous India through transformative initiatives in infrastructure, manufacturing, digital public goods, and the ease of doing business framework.