Bharat's rise: Bridging gaps, prosperity reaches the grassroots

India’s transformative journey of empowering the poorest through sustained development echoes Swami Vivekanada’s timeless vision for national regeneration.

- DR.S.SUKANYA IYER

As he powerfully declared, “The great national sin is the neglect of the masses, and that is one of the causes of our downfall.” urging a focus on uplifting the downtrodden to rebuild the nation’s strength.True progress lies in realizing his call: “India must rise, the masses and the poor are to be made happy” - a mission vividly unfolding today in bridging divides and fostering prosperity for all.

Let me give you all detailed analysis of facts and figures which shows how asset ownership among India’s bottom 40% has changed between 2011-12 and 2023-24.

1. Vehicle ownership: Rural bottom 40% saw bike/car ownership jump from 6.2%* to *19.7% - Urban bottom 40% rose from *8.1%* to *15.3% The gap between the top 20% and bottom 40% is narrowing, more sharply in cities.

2. Mobile phone ownership: - Became near-universal for the poor - 94.3%* in rural and *97.9% in urban bottom 40%. - Only a few households now lack a mobile.

3. Refrigerator ownership: - In cities, fridge ownership among the bottom 40% rose from 20.9%* to *57.9%. Rural growth was from 2.9%* to *22.5%, with big state variations (Haryana +74.5%, Kerala +69.5%).

4. Television ownership: Rural bottom 40% TV ownership grew from 35.1%* to *72.1%. Urban TV ownership actually fell slightly, as phones replaced TVs as the must-have device.

5. State-wise jumps for bottom 40%: Motor vehicles: Telangana +671%, Karnataka +69.1%, Punjab +76.6% (rural). Fridges: Haryana +74.5%, Kerala +69.5% (rural); Tamil Nadu +62.3% (urban). TVs: Karnataka +83.7% (rural); Madhya Pradesh +82.8% (urban).

Overall, the data indicates a significant reduction in the asset-ownership gap between rich and poor, with mobiles becoming universal and fridges turning into a kitchen staple for the bottom 40%, especially in cities.

Transforming lives, bridging the gap!

Data show how the Modi government has empowered India’s poorest over the last 11 years.