New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the third high-level meeting with Union Secretaries at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
The meeting focused on the future action agenda of ministries and departments handling infrastructure and connectivity, security and external affairs, and governance.
Modi noted that deliberations had already been held with two other groups of Secretaries. He said officials should think beyond immediate issues and statistics and adopt a long-term perspective on shaping the country’s future.
On the challenge of overcoming silos, Modi said silos were not merely an organisational problem but also a problem of mindset. He said silos could exist both horizontally and vertically across departments. He stressed that officials must take ownership of their responsibilities and work with a sense of belonging.
Modi cited the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and the West Asia crisis, when departments worked together effectively, according to an official statement.
He said such coordination should become a natural part of the government’s working culture.
Modi called for effective use of artificial intelligence while ensuring human intervention and judgement remain central. He asked officials to explore innovative ways of combining AI capabilities with human expertise.
Modi described data as a national asset and a resource for the future. He said the government invests significant resources in collecting, storing and managing data, but its full potential often goes unrealised due to departmental silos and fragmented systems. He pointed to inconsistencies in how data is collected and managed across departments and called for solutions that improve interoperability and effective data use.
Modi called for greater engagement between government departments, universities and young people to bring fresh perspectives into policymaking. He said such engagement could bring in new and unconventional ideas.
The PM also called for greater focus on research and innovation, particularly in the defence sector.
He stressed the need to strengthen India’s defence industry and make it more competitive globally, and called for developing innovative defence courses along with stronger human resource development in the sector.
Modi discussed the need for a comprehensive approach to strengthening India’s maritime sector. He recalled that shipbuilding had been granted infrastructure status and called for an assessment of whether its intended objectives are being met in mission mode. He reiterated the need for India to move from port development to port-led development.
He also emphasised the need for better connectivity between manufacturing units and export-oriented units, so that India’s manufacturing and export capabilities can fully benefit from the country’s maritime infrastructure.
Modi concluded by reiterating the need for a whole-of-government approach, greater coordination, innovative thinking and collective ownership to address complex challenges and shape India’s future with a long-term outlook.
He also underlined the importance of informal interaction and team spirit among officers. He encouraged senior officials to build greater personal engagement with junior colleagues and stronger networks across cadres and departments.
Secretaries at the meeting shared their experiences on sectoral priorities, emerging challenges and implementation issues. The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of key ministries and departments, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office.
