Laying a Strong Foundation

There are five key focus areas for India as it strives for sustainable growth: women, water, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship

- ROSHNI NADAR MALHOTRA

The India story has come a long way since the economic reforms of the 1990s to now being the fastest-growing large economy globally, creating economic opportunities for hundreds of millions. But as a nation, it’s equally important for us to ensure that this growth story is sustainable and inclusive.

The world has only five more years in its quest to reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Interestingly, the United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2024–2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) and this should form the basis or foundation of collective action. Rooted in the 2030 Agenda, this decade seeks to harness a more effective and inclusive global approach to sustainability based on the synergistic cooperation of all sciences and all knowledge forms in an integrative and transformative way to inform policymaking and the implementation of the SDGs.

It is no secret that these challenges are linked in some way or the other to the fact that the world’s production and consumption models are unsustainable. India is particularly at risk, given it is the most populous nation in the world. Plastic and electronic waste are increasingly choking our natural ecosystems.