Kolkata Hosts National Workshop on SDG Budgeting
NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Government of West Bengal and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convened a National Workshop on SDG Budgeting in Kolkata on September 29, 2026. This event aimed to enhance the integration of planning and budgeting processes with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on institutionalizing SDG budget tagging to ensure financial commitments translate into tangible development outcomes at the sub-national level.
Participants from 32 States and Union Territories gathered for the workshop, alongside senior officials from various government bodies, including NITI Aayog, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), and representatives from the private sector and development partners. States such as Haryana, Odisha, Meghalaya, and West Bengal shared their experiences on successfully implementing and institutionalizing SDG Budgeting, showcasing a comprehensive approach to localizing the SDGs.
Government Leaders Address the Workshop
The workshop featured prominent speakers including Dr. Swapan Dasgupta, the Finance Minister of West Bengal; Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, a member of NITI Aayog; and other key officials who participated virtually. In his opening address, Dr. Dasgupta emphasized the need for a clear connection between goals, targets, budget allocations, and execution, stating, “Without that line, the SDGs remain an aspiration on the asset side of the ledger with no corresponding entry on the liability side.”
Keynote speaker Dr. Balasubramaniam remarked, “Mapping the SDGs to State expenditure is a significant step… the idea becomes real when finance departments, political leadership, multilateral institutions, and the private sector work collaboratively.”
Mapping Budgets to Sustainable Development Goals
Shri Prabhat Kumar Mishra from the West Bengal Finance Department revealed that the state had mapped its budget to the SDG goals within its Integrated Financial Management System for the first time. Discussions highlighted how SDG budget tagging could illuminate government expenditure related to development goals and enable effective resource allocation.
Experts from UNDP noted the critical role of SDG budget tagging in assessing whether resources reach marginalized communities and aligning corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts with developmental priorities. They introduced new standards developed jointly by ISO and UNDP aimed at helping organizations integrate SDGs into core decision-making processes.
Technical Sessions and Future Directions
The workshop featured four technical sessions dedicated to the elements of SDG budget tagging, including identifying expenditures to be tagged and establishing appropriate linkages with SDG targets. States shared their experiences in integrating these practices into their annual budget cycles.
A focused session on private sector engagement addressed enabling policy frameworks and responsible business conduct, encouraging lasting partnerships toward achieving the SDGs. Participants included representatives from Tata Steel Foundation, Intellecap, and other key organizations.
As India aims for Viksit Bharat by 2047, with 2030 as a pivotal year for SDGs, the workshop underscored NITI Aayog’s dedication to fostering cooperative federalism and assisting States and Union Territories in embedding the SDGs into their planning and governance frameworks. The dialogue reinforced the necessity of linking public expenditure to developmental priorities to ensure measurable outcomes and transition swiftly from measurement to implementation.
Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Sports, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.
