Not just infrastructure, but people centric development will be needed for real transformation: Suresh Prabhu

GANDHINAGAR: Even though, India is on its way to become the third largest economy globally, the real transformation will have to be people centric rather than with infrastructure, said former union Minister Suresh Prabhu. He was delivering the 12th Dr Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture to mark 45th Foundation Day of Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)

Speaking on the occasion, Prabhu said, “Today, India is the fifth largest economy in the world in terms of our GDP, and soon we will become the third largest economy globally. But real transformation cannot just happen with infrastructure but by transforming the lives of people. Development has to be people-centric. We need to build a development model that incorporates the needs of what people really want.”

He further highlighted the remarkable legacy of Dr Verghese Kurien as an inspiration for India's development journey. “Dr Kurien’s life and his successful models of cooperative development can guide us in creating a people-centric growth trajectory. His work demonstrated how empowering communities can lead to lasting prosperity. Dr Kurien didn’t die as a billionaire, but he lives on in the hearts of billions for eternity,” he said.


The former minister also emphasised the necessity of aligning GDP growth with rising per capita income, for our development model, if per capita income rises first, then the GDP will automatically rise. Cooperatives are useful for achieving our objective of creating a developed country where people benefit first.”

Dwelling upon the issue of climate change, Prabhu said, “Methane emissions need to be reduced. It is a greenhouse gas and a major cause of climate change. The biggest threat to livelihoods, especially for vulnerable communities, is climate change. It’s also a threat to biodiversity. Therefore, we need to climate-proof agriculture and create a new paradigm in which we live. The focus should be on building a developed India by 2047, one that addresses climate change and shields our vulnerable populations, while also transforming the energy mix.”