His remarks come amid a debate over whether Tata Sons, the holding company of India's largest conglomerate Tata group, is required to go public.
'We are open to all countries around the world as long as we get a fair deal, as long as we are ensured continuity in the engagement.'
While India and the US have narrowed their differences, the remaining issues will be the hardest to resolve
'We expect the Indian delegation to flag New Delhi's worries and elaborate on its standpoint on the Russia-linked tariff as well as the Section 301 investigation into overcapacity.'
75% of India's 60 million digital-payment merchants have never recorded a transaction above 2,000.
'It is a blunt and dangerous attempt to pressure India to sign BTA on one-sided terms.'
'I don't really expect the August increase in food prices, which was close to 6 per cent, to persist as we go close to the end of this year.'
India's proposal to link BRICS payment systems, including central-bank digital currencies (CBDCs), was notably absent from the grouping's New Delhi Declaration, despite being a key agenda item for India's chairmanship. This omission leaves the 16-year effort for trade in local currencies without a settled payment architecture, with the declaration only 'acknowledging' the work of the BRICS Payment Task Force.
The Indian Centre has spent 37 per cent of its ~12.22 trillion capital expenditure target in the first four months of FY27, marking a 30 per cent year-on-year increase, while simultaneously keeping the fiscal deficit under control at 27 per cent of the Budget Estimate.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that India is likely to sustain economic growth of 7 per cent or more in 2026-27, continuing the pace recorded since the Covid-19 pandemic, despite geopolitical uncertainties and supply-chain disruptions.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged PSBs to become 'cool' and shed their 'government bank' image to attract young customers.
India has attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth approximately 4,896 crore across 29 projects since May, following the government's relaxation of norms under Press Note 2 of 2026. The revised rules permit investment without government approval from entities with up to 10 per cent non-controlling ownership by land-bordering countries.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government's plan to establish a high-powered committee to examine reforms for the banking sector, aligning it with the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) and India's next phase of growth.
The fiscal consolidation path and Rs 1 trillion stabilisation fund provide room to absorb mild shocks, but sustained oil-price increases pose risks.
Economists highlight that resolving domestic policy bottlenecks, particularly through land reforms and improving the ease of doing business, will be critical for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'next-generation reforms' and India's economic transformation towards its 'Viksit Bharat' vision for 2047.
'All these reports and announcements by the US seem like attempts to gain a lever in trade deal negotiations with India.'
The US senate last week passed a bill that would allow Washington to impose tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy.
India's trade deficit reached a six-month high of $31.98 billion in July, driven by a sharp increase in imports, particularly crude oil, electronic goods, coal, and fertilisers. Both merchandise exports and imports recorded their second-highest levels during the same period.
Fitch Ratings has affirmed India's sovereign credit rating at 'BBB-' with a stable outlook, acknowledging robust growth prospects and strong external finances. However, the agency highlighted concerns over elevated government debt, lagging structural metrics, and potential fiscal spending pressures due to rising youth unemployment.
Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran has stressed the urgent need for India's financial sector to proactively address the safety and security risks of artificial intelligence, stating that waiting for problems to materialise is not an option.