Viksit Bharat Ambassador meet-up was organised in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar on April 20. More than 300 participants, including writers, students, startup owners, professionals, and journalists from North and South Kashmir attended the event. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was the chief guest.
The meet-up was part of a series of nationwide volunteer meet-ups organised under the Viksit Bharat banner. A key highlight of the event was the panel discussion titled ‘Viksit Bharat-Viksit Kashmir.’ Participants discussed the changes seen in Jammu and Kashmir over the past decade, including the abrogation of Article 370, infrastructure projects like the Chenab Bridge, and a decrease in violence and stone pelting.
The role of Viksit Kashmir in leading the journey of Viksit Bharat was emphasised during the discussion. During his address, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated, "Bharat cannot be 'Viksit' without 'Viksit Kashmir'. .
“India will become a developed nation in 2047 or even earlier, but in that, several people have to play a role,” Minister Puri said. “The Prime Minister sets the coordinates as the prime agent of change, but he has to be supported by others who believe in that vision.”
Minister Puri highlighted the current economic status, "Right now, we are at $4 trillion. By 2040, our economy will be $40 trillion." He envisioned that when the country achieves a $40 trillion economy, it will not just be a 'Sone ki Chidiya' (golden bird) but the 'envy of the world'. Puri emphasised, "During the year 1700, India, which is 'Bharat', was referred to as 'Sone ki Chidiya'. According to historian Angus Maddison of Cambridge University, who has extensively documented economic history, it is conclusively shown that India's contribution to the global economy in the year 1700, until the Battle of Plassey, was roughly 25 per cent or more of the global GDP."