Energy prices for jobs: What was discussed in the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Modi? | india news

Last updated:June 12, 2026, 09:56 IST

For the first time, the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting chaired by PM Modi was attended by Chief Ministers of all 28 states, including seven opposition-ruled states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi The 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog on Thursday asked states to move ahead swiftly on investment, manufacturing, skills and district-level development planning, which came in the backdrop of rising crude oil prices linked to the West Asia crisis.

Chief ministers of all 28 states, including seven states ruled by opposition parties, participated in the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. this was For the first time when the Chief Ministers of all 28 states Participated in the Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog.

The theme of the meeting was “Inclusive Human Development for a Developed India@2047”.

Energy prices, solar power discussed amid West Asia crisis

Energy emerged as one of the main discussion points at the meeting, with the chief ministers raising concerns over the need for affordable and reliable energy at a time when global crude oil prices have soared due to the West Asia conflict.

Vice President of NITI Aayog Ashok Kumar Lahiri Said that there was a detailed discussion on making energy prices competitive and ensuring reliable energy supply.

“On energy, there was a lot of discussion on making energy prices competitive and providing reliable energy. Governing Council members also talked about spreading solar power on rooftops, in residential buildings, in schools, hospitals and government buildings so that the dependence of households on grid electricity is reduced and the problem of subsidy becomes manageable,” Lahiri said.

He also said that India cannot slow down its development agenda due to external uncertainty.

Lahiri said, “Just because there is a crisis in West Asia, we cannot become numb. We have to keep doing our work, developing our human capital.”

Lahiri said India is playing its role in managing the crisis in West Asia, but added that being one of the fastest growing major economies, the country needs to “keep doing our homework”, especially in developing human capital.

PM Modi promotes self-reliance, renewable energy best practices

According to Lahiri, the Prime Minister underlined that India’s growth story continued to move ahead despite uncertainty and economic stress in many major economies.

“The Prime Minister emphasized that at a time when many major economies are facing uncertainty and economic challenges, India’s growth story is moving forward with confidence and determination,” Lahiri said.

PM Modi also stressed the need to strengthen India’s resolve towards self-reliance and highlighted the importance of adopting global best practices, especially in renewable energy.

NITI Aayog member Abhay Karandikar said the chief ministers also discussed the Atomic Energy and Peace Act, which was passed last December and opened up the sector to private players.

“…This could become a good source of energy, especially when many states are looking to set up data centres,” Karandikar said.

Manufacturing, trade deals and state-level investment incentives

Manufacturing was another major focus area of ​​the meeting. Lahiri said the Prime Minister and most chief ministers were clear that India needs to increase manufacturing.

“The Prime Minister talked about the next generation of manufacturing,” Lahiri said.

The Prime Minister also mentioned India’s recently concluded trade agreements with several countries and encouraged states to create opportunities for youth and MSMEs so that they can benefit from these deals.

According to a PIB release, PM Modi urged states to actively attract investments from partner countries. He asked them to quickly address investors’ grievances and pursue investment opportunities more aggressively.

The Prime Minister also asked states to focus on One District One Product initiative and develop export-oriented strategies around them. He identified defense manufacturing as an emerging sector where India is making a mark and encouraged states to formulate policies to harness the opportunities in this sector.

District-level GDP estimates for grassroots development

PM Modi also asked states to prepare district-level GDP estimates to understand and address development challenges at the grassroots level.

The idea as discussed in the meeting was to make the scheme more localized and data-driven so that states can identify which districts need faster economic intervention, better infrastructure, stronger skills or more investment support.

Jobs, Skills and India’s Youth Dividend

Employment and skilling were also discussed in detail. Lahiri said the Prime Minister stressed the need to adopt new technologies with the changing times.

“Another thing that the PM emphasized on in skill building was partnership with industry. It was felt that a greater collaboration between industry and a skilled institute is very important,” Lahiri said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s demographic profile, noting that about 70 crore Indians are below the age of 25 years. He described this as a demographic dividend and urged states to convert it into a development dividend through education, skills and capacity building.

States sought more support for professional skills, especially as AI, automation, green energy and other new industries have changed the nature of work.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren sought central assistance for an estimated Rs 800 crore project to set up a skills university and a fintech university in the state.

Soren said rapid technological changes driven by AI, automation and green economy are reshaping jobs and states need to prepare youth for future-ready work. He said Jharkhand is expanding training in solar technology, EV repair, drone operations, healthcare and digital services to improve employability.

Women-led development and Lakhpati Didis

The Prime Minister also stressed on women-led development. According to the official statement, he asked the states to work towards increasing the number of Lakhpati Didis from 3 crore to 6 crore.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring a safe environment for women empowerment.

The Lakhpati Didi initiative is linked to the economic empowerment of women through self-help groups and livelihood opportunities. By asking states to double the target, the Prime Minister placed women’s income generation within the larger developed India framework.

What did the Chief Ministers raise?

While Lahiri said no detailed state-specific demands were raised inside the meeting, several chief ministers later gave details of the issues they had discussed or flagged.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, in a social media post, said he has requested the Prime Minister’s intervention to expedite approvals and support for projects including the Hyderabad Metro Rail extension, the Regional Ring Road, the 12-lane expressway from Future City to Bunder Port in Andhra Pradesh and airports in Warangal and Adilabad.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a post on X, said they discussed key issues related to Jammu and Kashmir, including early restoration of statehood, the state of the economy and the pace of development.

Abdullah said continued support from the Center is required to accelerate economic growth across Jammu and Kashmir, strengthen connectivity, generate employment, expand infrastructure and improve public welfare.

Lahiri said he is impressed by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph VijayWho said that he wants the state to become a Rs 1.5 trillion economy by 2035.

When asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Lahiri said that there was no detailed discussion. “The CM clearly mentioned that because of the history of the state, he may need support but not anything concrete,” he said.

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