New Delhi, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Union Finance Ministry will host a two-day conference of state and Union Territory finance ministers and finance secretaries beginning Friday to deliberate on policy priorities and financing challenges linked to India’s development journey towards “Viksit Bharat”.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the conference, which will bring together several Chief Ministers, finance ministers and senior officials from states and Union Territories with legislatures, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
The conference, titled “Financing India’s Journey towards Viksit Bharat”, will focus on policy complementarities between the Centre and the states. It will seek to combine academic perspectives with practical policymaking while examining financing requirements and policy priorities for the country’s development.
Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, will outline the objectives of the conference during the inaugural session.
N.K. Singh, President and Life Trustee of the Institute of Economic Growth and Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, will deliver the keynote address. Sudhir Shrivastava, former Additional Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary of Maharashtra, will present the state-level perspective on financing the “Viksit Bharat” agenda.
The conference will feature three thematic sessions covering the macroeconomic outlook, financing agricultural transformation and financing the energy transition.
Background papers circulated among participants will provide the basis for discussions on macroeconomic milestones and pathways towards “Viksit Bharat”, private financing for development and the implications of GST 2.0 for states.
Other areas of discussion will include financing agricultural markets and marketing, strengthening resilience and promoting sustainable resource use in Indian agriculture.
The energy transition session will examine financing requirements for renewable energy and transmission assets, as well as carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, will discuss the importance of measuring growth outcomes as India pursues its “Viksit Bharat” objectives.
S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will highlight the role of emerging technologies in strengthening good governance, the statement said.
The two-day meeting is expected to provide a platform for Centre-state discussions on development financing, fiscal priorities and policy coordination across key sectors.
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