Mumbai, 28th May 2026: CNBC-AWAAZ successfully hosted the Bharat Economic Samvaad on 26th May 2026, a landmark conclave that brought together some of India’s most influential voices from policy, business, and economics for a wide-ranging conversation on the nation’s growth trajectory. Held in Mumbai, the day-long summit examined the opportunities and challenges shaping India’s path to becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The conclave featured addresses from senior government representatives, including Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, who spoke on harnessing India’s youth power as an engine of economic growth, and Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Minister for Textiles, who delivered a compelling address on India’s textile export diversification and the road to Viksit Bharat 2047. The conclave also featured Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, who spoke on the new opportunities and challenges on the road to Viksit Bharat 2047; Dr. Ashok Kumar Lahiri, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, who delivered a keynote on India’s Growth Story 2.0, anchored around capital, consumption, and confidence.
The conclave opened with a welcome address by Anuj Singhal, Managing Editor, CNBC-AWAAZ, who set the tone for the day with an aspirational note on India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. This was followed by a high-powered panel discussion on Indian capital markets and a series of high-impact fireside chats with leaders shaping India’s industrial and policy landscape. The event featured Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Group; Rajesh Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Commerce; Ajay Sharma, President, Edelweiss Financial Services, Singapore; Tarun Garg, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India; Ishtiyaque Ahmad, Program Director, NITI Aayog; ; Anna Roy, Program Director, NITI Aayog; Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management; Navneet Munot, MD & CEO, HDFC AMC; Venk Krishnan, CEO, Nuware and President, TiE Bengaluru; Utpal Sheth, Founder & Mentor, Trust Group; Kamal Poddar, MD, Choice; and Alok Rungta, MD & CEO, Generali Central Life Insurance, among others.
Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving global economic order, the conclave served as a platform for substantive dialogue on India’s most pressing growth themes, from capital markets and manufacturing to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, Commodities, urban infrastructure, and the country’s emergence as a global brand. Sessions were designed to move beyond headlines and offer grounded, forward-looking perspectives on what it will take for India to realise its full economic potential.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Youth Affairs & Sports, commented, “From next month, the facility to withdraw EPFO funds through UPI will be available, where subscribers will be able to withdraw up to 75% of their amount with the help of ATM and Aadhaar. The government is also working on WhatsApp-based automated services to help users easily access information related to EPFO, including claims and other details.”
Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Textiles, said, “About 30% of our textile exports were going to the US, and I felt that this was not right and the diversification was necessary. Today, we are seeing the result of that very decision, as even in these circumstances we have not fallen. We did take a hit, but we recovered. This time we exported from 523 districts across 180 countries, which is no small achievement.”
Commenting on the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, Dr. Ashok Kumar Lahiri, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, said “Not just to face current challenges, but to fast-track the progress of Viksit Bharat 2047, we need to sharpen our focus on 100% foundational literacy and numeracy, primary healthcare for all, and reduction of logistics costs through better roads, railways, ports, and affordable electricity.”
CNBC-AWAAZ Bharat Economic Samvaad was made possible with the support of its valued partners. CNBC-AWAAZ thanks BSE as the Exchange Partner, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, Choice, Generali Central Life Insurance, and Definedge as Associate Partners, and the Government of Uttar Pradesh as the State Partner, and Reliance Industries as the Associate Partner for their support in bringing this important national conversation to life.
