Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant says think tank is planning chief ministers' meet on 'New India 2022' strategy paper

Kolkata: Niti Aayog, the premier policy-making think tank of the Central government, will prepare a development agenda by June for ‘New India 2022’ and call for a chief ministers’ meeting to discuss the matter, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant said in Kolkata on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_2027963” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of the NITI Aayog building. PTI[/caption] “A strategy paper or development agenda, once prepared, will be handed over to the chief ministers. A meeting of the CMs will be held next month in this regard, but the date has not been finalized. A number of other issues will also be discussed at the meeting,” Kant, while delivering a speech at Indian Chamber of Commerce, said on Thursday. The strategy document will focus on exports and MSME growth policies, he said. “MSMEs create 80 percent of jobs in the country. The growth of MSMEs and exports is required for the country to develop at a fast pace,” Kant stated. Explaining the think tank’s vision for India’s growth, the Niti Aayog CEO said, “Instead of a five-year plan, we are coming out with a 15-year vision document, a development agenda 2022 and a three-year action plan, which is already in the public domain.” He also asked people to embrace artificial intelligence and blockchain technology for improving the job scenario. “I do not foresee any job loss for technology advancement,” he asserted. Quoting a report, Kant said, “These technologies can contribute 15 percent of the country’s GDP and create avenues for highly paid jobs.”