New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS): In order to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, India needs about 10 to 12 ‘Champion States’ that consistently grow at over 10 per cent for the next couple of decades, G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, said on Friday.

Speaking exclusively to IANS in the national Capital, Kant said states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu delivered strong growth for a long period but now, the country needs a whole new range of ‘Champion States’ to help it become the third-largest economy faster than projected, and then move towards the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

“States are very critical. Without states growing, we will not be able to achieve our goals. India needs about 10 to 12 ‘Champion States’ that grow at 10 per cent plus. We need states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan to grow faster than ever,” Kant emphasised.

According to him, India must strive towards the $30 trillion economy goal in the next 20 years, not just becoming a $10 trillion economy by 2030 or 2032.

“To achieve this ambitious goal, these states need to grow at 10 to 12 per cent per annum for the next three decades. If they start growing at a rapid rate then the rest of India will automatically grow. It is also very critical that we make the eastern part of India grow very rapidly,” the G20 Sherpa told IANS.

The collective effort of all states and the Centre can help the country reach this milestone faster and achieve the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, he added.

The economy, which was ranked the 10th-largest economy in the world in 2014, has risen to become the fifth-largest economy in 2024.

Now, the collective aim of the government and all citizens is for India to become the third-largest economy in the world.

According to Kant, the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ can be realised through ‘Viksit’ states, and that the aspiration of ‘Viksit Bharat’ should reach the grassroots level.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made a cross-party appeal on all levels of governance — from panchayats to the Central government — on working together to improve ease of living in a "mission mode."

He said that achieving the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 will require a collaborative approach between the Centre and the state governments, to the level of gram panchayats.