Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On Thursday, the Mayfair Convention in Bhubaneswar hosted a nationwide workshop on reporting progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fast-tracking it. The Odisha government arranged the workshop in conjunction with the UNDP and NITI Aayog, which is part of its State Support Mission. This one-day event brought together key policymakers, senior government officials, and experts from different States and Union Territories to exchange ideas, lessons learned, and methods for implementing the SDGs more quickly through integrated planning, funding, and monitoring techniques.
In his keynote speech, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery underlined the pressing need for a multi-stakeholder, evidence-based strategy to close development gaps, enhance governance, and provide sustainable funding for inclusive growth. India has made great strides in implementing the SDGs, including measures to reduce poverty and promote localization, according to BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog. For a bigger collective impact, he advised States and Union Territories to promote knowledge-sharing.
In his inauguration speech, Manoj Ahuja, the chief secretary of Odisha, gave a summary of the state’s major SDG accomplishments. He underlined how the SDGs would help achieve Viksit Odisha by 2036 and Viksit Bharat by 2047, emphasizing the value of decentralized governance and data-driven SDG localization for faster development. Development Commissioner-turned-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg of the Government of Odisha discussed important projects implemented for SDG implementation and monitoring in Odisha in her enlightening talk. In order to accelerate the advancement of the SDGs, she emphasized the significance of integrated planning, implementation, and assessment. Rajib Kumar Sen, Senior Advisor (SDGs), NITI Aayog, gave a welcoming speech and provided background information before the session got underway.
