India’s next growth phase: The shift from foundations to execution

The article was first published in The Economic Times Edge Insights.com on February 24 2026. Please click here to read the article.

At the recent ET Edge Global Business Summit, a clear thread ran across the conversations: India today stands at a point where confidence in growth is stronger than ever. With a stable government that has steadily demonstrated its position, the outlook across industries reflected optimism and not merely on policy promises, but on the visible transformation the country has already undergone. Over the last decade, India has experienced one of the world’s largest digital transformations and the sentiment at the Summit suggested that the country is now ready to move from foundations to accelerated delivery.

This confidence is reinforced by the presence of major global players who have deeply invested in India across sectors: technology, manufacturing, services, energy, logistics and more. Their continued commitment signals a belief that India is entering a decisive execution please, where both domestic and global stakeholders can push the growth story forward.

It was in this context that KPMG released its ‘Top 10 Priorities for India’s Next Growth Phase’, a framework that essentially captures the shift from ‘building the base’ to ‘scaling impact’. The report highlights that while significant progress has been made in creating infrastructure, digital rails and policy stability, the next phase requires faster and more disciplined implementation. India has laid the foundations; the challenge is ‘execution at scale’.

Across the summit, key themes that clearly stood out and are also mentioned in the report

work

First

India’s ability to sustain high growth hinges on its talent base. While the country has one of the world’s largest workforces, the need now is for deep-tech, advanced manufacturing, and digital skills. These capabilities will fuel competitiveness not just in IT services, but across manufacturing, public administration, infrastructure, healthcare, and emerging innovation-led sectors. As India aspires to become a global hub for technology and manufacturing, equipping its workforce with the right talent mix becomes central to success

expand

Secondly

There was a strong consensus that India must now expand its design and manufacturing capabilities, not merely in volume, but in sophistication. The shift must be from assembly-led manufacturing to value-chain leadership, supported by Industry 4.0 systems, automation, design capabilities, and export readiness. MSMEs were repeatedly highlighted as the backbone of this ambition. With the right support – credit, AI tools, quality systems, logistics enabler – MSMEs can integrate more deeply into global supply chains and drive diversification in exports

anchor

Third

India’s national progress is anchored in two parallel infrastructure tracks hard infrastructure( such as logistics, mobility networks, and industrial capacity) and digital infrastructure (such as identity layers, payment rails, data exchange networks, and public digital platforms). While these digital public infrastructure and goods have already transformed service delivery at scale, the next step is translating them into industry-led mass-market products and services, making them engines of economic growth

When talent, manufacturing and infrastructure come together cohesively, they create conditions for India to build sunrise sectors, such as advanced electronics, green technologies, AI driven services, and next-gen digital solutions. These sectors hold the potential to significantly expand India’s footprint in global trade.

The discussion was also stressed on the need for private sector to play a more proactive, execution-oriented role. Government continues to provide scale, stability, and long-term direction, but the private sector must bring innovation, agility, and speed.

Ultimately, the consensus was clear that India’s next decade will be defined not by policy creation, but by disciplined, sustained and collaborative implementation. With public private partnerships, future ready talent, deeper manufacturing strength and scalable digital infrastructure, India is positioned to shape and lead, not merely participate, in the next wave of economic growth.