Had a fruitful meeting with council of ministers, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others during the meeting of the council of ministers in New Delhi. Pic/X

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he held a "fruitful" meeting with the Union council of ministers, where discussions focused on improving governance, boosting ‘Ease of Living' and ‘Ease of Doing Business', and accelerating reforms aimed at building a developed India by 2047.

The meeting, held on Thursday evening, lasted for more than four hours and was attended by cabinet ministers, ministers of state with independent charge and ministers of state. It was the first council of ministers meeting held this year.

Focus on reforms and governance

In a post on X, PM Modi said the discussions centred around policy reforms and governance initiatives that could improve public service delivery and strengthen economic growth.

"Had a fruitful meeting of the Council of Ministers yesterday. We exchanged perspectives and best practices relating to boosting ‘Ease of Living', ‘Ease of Doing Business' and how to further reforms in order to realise our shared dream of a Viksit Bharat," the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi urged ministers to focus on long-term goals and set 2047 as the target year for transforming India into a fully developed nation, sources told PTI.

Ministers asked to prioritise public welfare

Sources told PTI that the Prime Minister told ministers that governance should remain centred on improving people's daily lives and reducing unnecessary interference in public matters.

He reportedly stressed that every ministry should work towards increasing efficiency and ensuring citizens receive maximum benefits from government welfare schemes.

PM Modi also emphasised that government departments should avoid delays in administrative work and ensure faster execution of projects and public services.

"The aim should always be to bring comfort to people's lives and improve ease of living," sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying during the meeting.

PM urges ministers to focus on future goals

During the interaction, PM Modi is also learnt to have told ministers that the government should focus on future priorities instead of dwelling on past achievements.

Sources told PTI that PM Modi noted that while the government has been in office since 2014, the focus in 2026 should remain on upcoming targets, governance delivery and long-term development goals.

The Prime Minister advised ministers to stay focused on implementation and maintain momentum in reform-oriented governance.

Presentations made by ministers and senior officials

The meeting also included presentations by senior ministers and government officials on various policy initiatives and departmental performance.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar gave a presentation on PM Modi's recent visits to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

Officials said nine secretaries from different ministries also made presentations highlighting initiatives, reforms and performance updates.

Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan presented an overview of government reform measures and citizen-focused initiatives, while Rajiv Gauba also addressed the meeting.

Meeting held after BJP's recent poll victories

The council of ministers meeting came shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party registered major victories in the recently held assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam, while also returning to power in Puducherry.

The meeting is being viewed as part of the government's efforts to sharpen its governance agenda and align ministries with long-term economic and development priorities.

(With inputs from PTI)