Recent Current Affairs related to NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog has released its first-ever "Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) 2026", unveiled by its Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri.

Gujarat emerged as the top overall performer with a score of 56.6, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Odisha. Among large states, Gujarat is the leader, while Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal are the worst performers.

Uttarakhand is the leader among Hilly & Northeastern states, and Goa is the leader among City States & UTs. Lakshadweep recorded the lowest overall score nationwide, followed by Ladakh and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The index evaluates all 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs) based on 84 indicators across 8 economic pillars: Infrastructure, Business Climate, Government Policy, Resources, Regulatory Ease, Institutional Environment, Financial Health, and Environmental Resilience.

Chitkara University in Punjab has launched the Atal Incubation Centre–Chitkara Incubation Foundation (AIC-CIF) and AIC-PRIDE Labs. The initiative involves an investment of ₹20 crore over 5 years.

It aims to strengthen the deep-tech startup ecosystem in India by supporting startups in drone technologies, agritech, and renewable energy.

NITI Aayog has released a report titled "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global", prepared in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The roadmap focuses on shifting from basic product exports to global institution-building, using a three-pillar framework of Availability, Acceptability, and Propagation.

It outlines plans across three horizons: short-term goals up to 2029, medium-term objectives up to 2035, and a vision extending to 2047. The report recommends creating a Global Ayurveda Register (GAR) and establishing a World Federation for Ayurveda and Yoga to facilitate global integration.

The traditional medicine market of India is estimated at $61 billion. Global exports of traditional medicine have increased from $1.09 billion in 2014 to $2.16 billion, currently reaching 150 countries.

According to the 8th edition of the 'Trade Watch Quarterly (TWQ)' released by the NITI Aayog for Q4 FY26, the total merchandise and services trade of India expanded by 5.4% to $1.84 trillion.

The report states that the global pharmaceutical market recorded a demand of $1.3 trillion in 2025. India's pharmaceutical sector contributes over 1.7% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 7.2% to the manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA).

The Ministry of Tourism and NITI Aayog have jointly launched a report titled "Unlocking Growth in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Recommendations for Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms". The report provides 49 recommendations across 14 reform areas to streamline the sector.

The strategic plan aims to expand India's tourism economy to $3 trillion and attract 100 million inbound international visitors by 2047.

It is to be noted that according to the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), India ranks 6th globally in Natural Resources and 9th in Cultural Resources. Despite this, India ranks 39th overall on the TTDI and currently accounts for less than 1.5% of global international tourist arrivals.

Technology Hub (T-Hub) has inaugurated the third cohort of the ORBIT programme, an Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)-supported Atal Innovation Incubation Centre (AIC)-T-Hub Space-Tech Accelerator Programme. The third cohort includes 13 startups, including Sanyak Space Technologies, Humanity Space, Red Balloon Aerospace, and Nibiaa Devices.

With this, the ORBIT programme has supported 36 space-tech startups in total, while the broader space-tech initiatives of T-Hub have engaged over 100 startups. It is to be noted that previous cohorts have collectively raised nearly ₹30 crore in funding and developed 18 Intellectual Properties (IPs).

The Frontier Tech Hub of the NITI Aayog has released a 10-year roadmap titled “Future of India’s Semiconductor Industry” to strengthen India’s position in the global semiconductor value chain.

The roadmap, unveiled by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to establish a semiconductor value chain worth $120–$150 billion by 2035, with India potentially capturing 10–13% of the global semiconductor market.

It is to bo noted that India imported semiconductor products worth $150 billion between FY17 and FY25. Projections suggest that annual imports could rise to $240 billion by 2035 if current trends continue.

Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav has launched the ‘Ayush Anudan Portal’ to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in grant management for the Ayush sector. The portal is developed under the ‘Ayush Grid’ initiative.

It enables the online submission, processing, and monitoring of funding proposals under Central Sector Schemes. The portal is integrated with the ‘NGO Darpan Portal’ for faster verification, aiming to reduce manual processes and support the ‘Digital India’ and ‘Ease of Living’ initiatives.

Dr Harvansh Chawla has been appointed as the Chairman of the BRISEC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRISEC CCI). He previously served as the Chairman of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI).

It is to be noted that the BRISEC CCI was established in 2026 and is recognized by NITI Aayog.

NITI Aayog has inaugurated the Central Prabhari Officer (CPO) Portal in New Delhi to bolster real-time governance and streamline last-mile service delivery.

The digital platform is implemented under the framework of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP). The portal aims to minimize the disparity between field-level observations and administrative responses by utilizing a structured real-time reporting system.

The NITI Aayog has released a policy report titled “School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement” in New Delhi. The report highlights that the school education system in India comprises 14.71 lakh schools and over 24.69 crore students.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the higher secondary level is recorded at 58.4%. Jharkhand has achieved a 0% primary school dropout rate during 2024-25. Around 8,000 schools across the nation reported zero student enrolment, with West Bengal recording the highest number of 3,812 such institutions.

The Government of India (GoI) has appointed Dr R Balasubramaniam and Dr Joram Aniya as full-time members of NITI Aayog.

According to a report titled “DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat-A Strategic Roadmap to Enable Non-linear Inclusive Socio-economic Growth” released by the NITI Aayog, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiatives currently account for nearly 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This contribution is projected to reach 4% by 2030.

The report, which details the implementation strategy for DPI 2.0, was developed in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation and Deloitte. It establishes a two-phase strategy to facilitate the digital transformation of the country.

World Creativity and Innovation Day:

Day – April 21

Observed since – 2018

The Government of India (GoI) has appointed Dr Ashok Lahiri, a veteran economist and former Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), as the Vice-Chairman of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog). He succeeds Suman Bery.

Dr Gobardhan Das, an eminent scientist and the Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has also been appointed as a full-time member of the NITI Aayog.

Suman Bery, the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog, has launched an anthology titled “Divya Bharat: A Window to the Soul of India” in New Delhi. The publication aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tourism potential of the nation.

The anthology features 3,000 curated entries, comprising 2,100 tourism destinations and 1,200 cultural listings. This initiative supports national efforts and the strategic plan to develop 50 global tourist destinations.