“When India moves forward, the world moves with it”

UNDP’s Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu visits India | Nov 2025

November 25, 2025

Man in suit speaks at a podium on stage with a United Nations 60 Years banner.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Acting Administrator, Haoliang Xu was on a two-day mission to New Delhi, India from November 10-11.

Strengthening India’s SDG Pathway

The visit began with a meeting with Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog. The discussion looked at India’s progress on the SDGs, the role of state level SDG Coordination and Acceleration Centres and how data driven indices are helping states localise development plans. They also spoke about climate finance and how young innovators are shaping the next wave of solutions.

The conversation reaffirmed how India is developing models that other countries are studying closely, especially on planning, measurement and local action.

A Conversation with the UNDP India Team

UNDP India office, the Acting Administrator met the team and heard about ongoing work across digital health, inclusion, SDG acceleration and South South cooperation. He appreciated the energy and ambition of the country programme and noted how India’s development experience is influencing UNDP’s global thinking.

Marking Sixty Years of India–UNDP Collaboration

The UNDP at 60 reception brought together partners from government, the UN, development organisations, youth networks and the private sector to celebrate six decades of shared work. In his remarks, the Acting Administrator looked back at the partnership not as a timeline, but as a series of choices that shaped people’s lives.

He spoke about how India and UNDP have built institutions, strengthened public systems and worked shoulder to shoulder on everything from digital health to community resilience. He described this journey simply, saying “The story of UNDP and India is a story of development done right, nationally owned, globally connected, and people centred.” He also underlined how India’s progress carries global weight, noting that “When India moves forward, the world moves with it.”

Meeting the UN Country Team

The second day began with an interaction with the UN Country Team. With the UN80 agenda approaching, the discussion focused on how the UN system can jointly support India in advancing the SDGs for 1.4 billion people, with a special focus on the most vulnerable.

A Decade of Digital Health Innovation

Group of award recipients on stage holding awards at a conference ceremony.

In New Delhi, UNDP Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu joined senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development and the National Health Authority at a convening marking ten years of India’s digital transformation in healthcare. The discussion highlighted how India is taking digital solutions to the last mile and strengthening public health delivery at scale.

Frontline Health Workers Leading the Way

Healthcare workers and a family member attend to a child at a clinic.

At a health centre in Delhi, the Acting Administrator met frontline workers who use India’s digital health platforms every day to strengthen vaccine delivery. He saw how real time data and digital registries help teams track doses, plan sessions and ensure timely immunisation for children and mothers through U-WIN.

The visit also offered a sense of continuity. In 2016, he had first seen eVIN during its early rollout. Returning now showed how a decade of digital health innovation has transformed last mile delivery and made public health systems more reliable.

Advancing South South Cooperation

At a roundtable convened by UNDP India in partnership with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative (DAKSHIN), partners from India, the Global South and North, and India based international coalitions came together to discuss how countries can exchange knowledge, share innovations and accelerate development together.

The Acting Administrator joined the dialogue, where UNDP India and Dakshin Foundation also signed an MoU to strengthen South South and Triangular Cooperation for sustainable development.

The discussions highlighted India’s leadership, and the role of the Ministry of External Affairs, in promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange and sustainable growth across the Global South.

Dialogue with the Ministry of Finance

Woman in green blouse and brown sari shakes hands with a suited man in an office.

The Acting Administrator met Anuradha Thakur, Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, and reaffirmed UNDP’s strong partnership with the Government of India. He acknowledged the Ministry’s leadership in guiding the implementation of UNDP India’s Country Programme and discussed areas of continued collaboration.

The conversation focused on advancing national priorities on sustainable finance, supporting state governments and strengthening development outcomes through global expertise, knowledge exchange and technical support.

Engagement with the Ministry of External Affairs

Two men in suits hold a formal meeting in a wood-paneled office; Indian flag, globe, red flowers.

The Acting Administrator met Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, to reaffirm UNDP’s commitment to supporting India’s development priorities and to discuss ways to strengthen India’s leadership in South South Cooperation. The conversation highlighted how India is sharing its development experience, technology and innovations with countries across the Global South to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

Media Engagements

Photograph of a man and a woman seated in chairs during a formal meeting; UN flag in the background. — UNDP's Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu during an interview with Geeta Mohan, India Today's Executive Editor

The Acting Administrator's visit also received widespread media coverage, including interviews which were published and printed across mainstream media including India Today, PTI, Times of India, The Hindu, NDTV, Economics Times and CNBC.