India has set itself an audacious deadline: evolve from a middle-income nation into a fully developed economy by 2047, the centenary of Independence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog termed the task as a joint enterprise of New Delhi and the states. In an era of fragile global demand, much of the required momentum must come from within—and from every corner of the federation.

Lifting GDP per capita from roughly $2,500 today to about $14,000 by 2047 demands compound growth of 7–8 per cent a year for more than two decades. Achieving that pace will hinge on narrowing the vast economic gulf that runs east to west and north to south. Some Indian states are already punching at middle-income weight; others remain stuck in low-productivity traps. Unless the laggards accelerate, they will act as a drag on the national project.

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