India and the SDGs: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

India, as the world’s most populous nation with over 1.4 billion people, occupies a unique position in the global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The country’s progress on these 17 interconnected goals carries weight not just domestically but for the entire planet. With its complex demographic profile, vast regional disparities, and ambitious development agenda, India has embedded the SDGs into its national planning framework – and the results so far have been a mix of notable gains and persistent gaps.

India’s approach to sustainable development 🔗

India’s engagement with the SDGs has been deeply intertwined with its broader development vision. When the 2030 Agenda was adopted in 2015, India noted that much of its own development agenda was mirrored in the SDGs. The guiding philosophy of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (Collective Effort, Inclusive Development) has been the driving principle behind aligning national schemes with specific SDG targets.

At the institutional level, NITI Aayog serves as the nodal institution for overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs across the country. It works closely with states and union territories through the spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism, encouraging sub-national governments to take ownership of SDG localisation. This approach has resulted in states developing their own SDG vision documents, expanding indicator frameworks to the district and block levels, and integrating state budgets with specific SDG targets.

India’s demographic challenge – a massive young population, rapid urbanisation, and deep rural-urban divides – has meant that the government’s focus has been strongly directed at building social infrastructure. This includes expanding access to clean energy, sanitation, healthcare, education, housing, and digital connectivity. These are not isolated policy goals; they directly correspond to multiple SDGs, from poverty eradication (SDG 1) to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) to affordable energy (SDG 7).

Progress in numbers 🔗

The SDG India Index 2023-24, released by NITI Aayog, provides a clear snapshot of this progress. India’s overall composite score rose from 57 at the 2018 baseline to 71 in 2023-24 – a 14-point improvement. Poverty-related indicators under SDG 1 showed particularly strong gains, with multidimensional poverty declining from 24.8% in 2015-16 to approximately 11.28% in 2022-23. Access to clean cooking fuel (LPG and PNG) reached 96.35% of households by 2024, and the labour force participation rate (ages 15-59) climbed to 61.6% by 2022-23.

However, the picture is not uniformly positive. According to the State of States report released in February 2025, India falls short on nine of the 16 SDGs measured. Only four goals – SDG 3 (Good Health), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable Energy), and SDG 8 (Decent Work) – have seen all 36 states and UTs achieve at least half of their targets. Meanwhile, the SDG Report 2024 by the UN ranked India 109th out of 166 countries, with a global score of 63.99, highlighting the gap between national progress and global benchmarks.

Key initiatives and programs 🔗

India’s strategy for meeting the SDGs has relied heavily on large-scale flagship government schemes that directly address specific goals and targets. Two of the most prominent examples are the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter) 🔗

Launched in January 2015, BBBP is a tri-ministerial initiative jointly run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Education. The programme was designed to tackle the declining child sex ratio and promote education and empowerment of girls across the country – directly contributing to SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Over a decade, the National Sex Ratio at Birth improved from 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24. The gross enrolment ratio of girls in secondary schools increased from 75.51% to 78%, and institutional deliveries rose from 61% to over 97.3% during the same period. Since 2021, BBBP has been integrated into Mission Shakti, a broader programme focused on women’s safety and empowerment. Community engagement through campaigns and collaborations with the Ministry of Skill Development has added vocational training and higher education opportunities for girls, particularly those from minority communities.

That said, challenges remain. Over 56% of the scheme’s funds between 2014 and 2019 were spent on publicity rather than direct interventions. Regional disparities persist, with some districts in Haryana and Punjab actually recording a decline in sex ratios during certain years. Sustained impact will require moving beyond awareness campaigns to stronger on-the-ground implementation.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission) 🔗

Launched on 2 October 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission is widely recognised as the world’s largest sanitation programme. It directly advanced SDG 6.2, which aims for adequate and equitable sanitation access for all. By 2019, the mission had facilitated the construction of over 100 million household toilets, benefiting around 500 million people across more than 600,000 villages.

India declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in 2019, effectively meeting its SDG 6.2 target eleven years ahead of the 2030 deadline. The WHO reported 300,000 fewer diarrhoeal deaths in 2019 compared to 2014 as a direct outcome of improved sanitation. Families in ODF villages saved an average of INR 50,000 annually on health-related costs. The mission also mobilised over 600,000 community volunteers – called swachhgrahis – trained to promote safe sanitation practices at the village level.

Phase 2 of SBM (2020-2025) expanded the focus beyond toilet construction to solid and liquid waste management, with an investment of Rs 1.40 lakh crore. By 2024, municipal solid waste processing had risen from 68% to 78.46%, and 97% of urban wards had achieved 100% door-to-door waste collection.

Other notable programmes 🔗

Beyond BBBP and SBM, several other schemes contribute to India’s SDG progress. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has provided clean cooking fuel connections to millions of below-poverty-line households, advancing SDG 7. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has driven financial inclusion – 95.7% of households now have at least one bank or post office account, with 55.63% of accounts under the scheme held by women. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, 99.7% of targeted rural habitations are now connected with all-weather roads, up from 47.38% in 2017-18.

Monitoring and evaluating progress 🔗

Tracking performance across 17 goals and hundreds of indicators for a country as diverse as India requires a robust monitoring ecosystem. Two key frameworks anchor this effort: the SDG India Index by NITI Aayog and the National Indicator Framework (NIF) managed by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

The SDG India Index 🔗

First launched in 2018, the SDG India Index is the country’s principal tool for measuring sub-national progress on the SDGs. The 2023-24 edition – the fourth in the series – tracks 113 indicators aligned to MoSPI’s NIF across 16 SDGs. It computes goal-wise and composite scores for each state and UT, enabling comparison and fostering healthy competition. For example, Uttar Pradesh recorded the most significant improvement, with a 25-point increase over the baseline score. Among the 36 states and UTs, 19 scored at or above the national average of 71.

The National Indicator Framework 🔗

MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework for SDGs provides the statistical backbone for monitoring. Data is now available for more than 95% of national SDG indicators. In February 2023, MoSPI, NITI Aayog, and the UN Resident Coordinator Office signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on data collection, leverage new technologies, and develop capacity for tracking SDG-related outcomes. This led to the creation of the Data for Development Coordination Forum (DDCF) on SDGs.

Gaps in monitoring 🔗

Despite progress, significant data and indicator gaps persist. The State of States report flagged that key indicators are missing across several goals. For SDG 1, the indicator for eradicating extreme poverty was removed from the 2023-24 assessment. SDG 6 has no direct measure for water quality. SDG 7 omits indicators on carbon emissions per electricity output and renewable energy’s share in final energy consumption. SDG 11 does not include parameters on air quality or public transport. Data for SDG 14 (Life Below Water) is missing for several coastal UTs, and 13 of 36 states lack data on afforestation under SDG 15. These gaps make it difficult to get a complete and accurate picture of India’s progress, and addressing them is essential for accountability.

Public-private partnerships in achieving SDGs 🔗

Given the scale of investment needed to meet the 2030 Agenda, India’s government cannot do it alone. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become a critical mechanism for mobilising resources, technology, and expertise for SDG-aligned projects, particularly in infrastructure-heavy sectors like energy, transport, water, and sanitation.

PPPs in renewable energy 🔗

India’s renewable energy sector is perhaps the strongest example of public-private collaboration. The government has allocated $2.2 billion for developing 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen capacity and 125 GW of renewable energy. The private sector has responded by pledging over $200 billion to support India’s energy roadmap. The government’s Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme alone attracted more than $8 billion in private investment – a large share going to electric vehicles, renewable energy, and battery manufacturing.

Major corporate groups like Mahindra have committed to net-zero targets and are investing heavily across EVs, renewable energy, green buildings, and sustainable logistics. Indian Railways has installed solar power units at thousands of stations, electrified large portions of its network, and is targeting net-zero by 2030. These efforts are supported by initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, co-founded by India, which fosters global cooperation in solar energy development.

PPPs in water and sanitation 🔗

In the water and sanitation sector, PPPs are increasingly being used to build and manage infrastructure at the city and district levels. The Asian Development Bank has developed toolkits to help public entities in states like Maharashtra develop PPP-based water supply and sanitation projects. These models are being replicated across other cities. Phase 2 of SBM has also leaned on PPP frameworks for solid waste management projects, including waste-to-energy facilities.

The role of start-ups and civil society 🔗

India’s 90,000-plus start-up ecosystem, including over 100 unicorns, is also contributing to SDG outcomes. Climate-focused start-ups work across sectors like agriculture, energy, and transportation. Government programmes like the Digital Agriculture Mission and Startup India Scheme create an enabling environment for sustainable innovation. Meanwhile, NGOs and civil society organisations continue to play a bridging role – advocating for marginalised communities, channelling resources to underserved areas, and partnering with government agencies on implementation.

Challenges for PPPs 🔗

PPPs are not without risks. Execution challenges such as land acquisition delays, regulatory uncertainty, and the reluctance of government authorities to promptly compensate private partners for policy changes remain persistent issues. For PPPs to truly drive SDG outcomes, India needs stronger regulatory frameworks, transparent procurement processes, and clearer risk-sharing arrangements between public and private partners.

The road ahead: challenges and opportunities 🔗

India has made undeniable progress on the SDGs since 2015. The composite index score rising from 57 to 71 is a testament to the scale of effort across government programmes. However, with the 2030 deadline approaching, the pace of progress needs to accelerate – especially on the eight to nine goals where India remains behind.

The country is projected to achieve seven SDGs by 2030 based on current rates, with SDG 7 (clean energy), SDG 11 (sustainable cities), and SDG 12 (responsible consumption) potentially being met as early as 2025-26. But goals related to reducing inequality, climate action, and life on land require significantly faster intervention. States like Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Nagaland remain at the bottom of the index and have shown the least improvement, calling for targeted and intensive support.

Moving forward, three things will be crucial: closing data gaps so that monitoring is comprehensive, strengthening public-private partnerships to scale implementation, and ensuring that localisation efforts reach the most underperforming districts and states. India’s SDG journey is as much about improving national averages as it is about narrowing regional disparities.

What do you think? Can India realistically meet its SDG targets by 2030, or is a revised timeline with stronger accountability mechanisms the more practical path forward? How can public-private partnerships be better structured to reach communities that need them the most?

References

1. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/15836India.pdf
2. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2032857
3. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/governance/aad-2025-india-lags-in-nine-out-of-16-sustainable-development-goals-finds-state-of-states-report
4. https://gfst.in/mapping-indias-sdg-progress/
5. https://www.ibef.org/government-schemes/beti-bachao-beti-padhao
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beti_Bachao_Beti_Padhao
7. https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/swachh-bharat-abhiyan-clean-india-mission
8. https://swachhbharatmission.ddws.gov.in/
9. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2082313
10. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/01/india-public-private-partnerships-climate/
11. https://www.adb.org/where-we-work/india/public-private-partnerships
12. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/india