Surat: Vipra Goyal, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus and former advisor to the Government of India, presented a roadmap for strengthening rural India at a press conference held in Surat. He stated that achieving the goal of “Viksit Bharat @2047” and sustaining a 12% annual GDP growth would require a strong and self-reliant rural economy.
Goyal said that improving access to water, energy and employment in villages would increase farmers’ purchasing power and support small industries. He noted that the average annual income of nearly 10 crore farming families is around ₹24,000. With effective implementation of schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana and Atal Bhujal Yojana, he said this income could increase significantly.
He suggested that farmers allocate 5% of their land for farm ponds to ensure irrigation and 1% for solar panels to generate electricity.
Goyal also highlighted Surat’s textile sector, stating that a significant share of demand comes from rural areas. More details on implementation of the proposed roadmap are awaited.
