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In 2008-09, the economy grew at 6.7 per cent despite poor farm sector growth of 0.4 per cent.
The FMCG industry hopes for a revival in consumption growth in 2025 with some 'green shoots' already visible, after having a challenging year amid escalating input costs and a double-digit rise in food inflation, which ultimately slowed down the pace of the urban market growth in the second half of 2024. Soaring prices of commodities such as palm oil, coffee, cocoa and wheat forced FMCG players to go for a hike of 3 to 5 per cent or resort to shrinkflation by reducing pack sizes and grammage to retain attractive price points, fearing a volume loss.
'Within India, people want high-quality, personalised banking services, and the demand for such services has exploded.'
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday urged the states to strengthen PDS to enable the government insulate the poor from the adverse impact of inflation.
For the third month running, investors opened over four million new demat accounts in February, showing growing household confidence in stock markets and their increased risk appetite. Over 13.12 million new demat accounts have been opened in the last three months, taking the total count close to the 150-million mark. Demat accounts are needed for trading and holding shares electronically.
Ahluwalia's statement comes in the backdrop of Reserve Bank of India's tight monetary policy and high inflation.
'The first and most basic responsibility of any government is to protect its people from external threats and internal harm.' 'Budget 2025-2026 has to focus on meeting this responsibility,' asserts R Jagannathan.
The global rating agency expects the economy to pick up in the next two financial years.
The US is currently Earth's most powerful country and a certain latitude of understanding -- a world view -- is popularly expected from its leadership. From a country identified with freedom, constitution, debate, democracy and the likes of Abraham Lincoln even as it had the most powerful military around, the US, following Trump's actions, seemed repositioned as militarily powerful with other qualities secondary, observes Shyam G Menon.
'Trump administration wanted a positive tone at this summit, but there was still some anxiety that there could be some awkward moments -- and there were not.'
'With NPA under control, we should be able to post better profits.'
Even as both India and the world struggle to re-build after COVID-19, they face slow-burn problems that could develop into full-blown crises, observes T N Ninan.
President-elect Donald Trump urged his supporters to donate to Democrats to help them overcome the 'financial strain' in the aftermath of the general elections.
'Spending by the middle class is limited with a focus on savings. However, there is buoyancy at the top-end.'
The escalation in the US-China trade war is expected to help India increase its exports and attract investments from American companies, think tank GTRI said on Friday. He said that last month, the US Senate introduced two bills that could intensify the trade war and have major global economic impacts if passed.
'Our attempt to honour the taxpayer has been since 2014 and more actively since 2019-2020 onwards.'
You have to make yourself visible and create opportunities for yourself, advises Gaurav Goyal, co-founder, Scalenut.
So, while it is great that India's numbers look relatively good, don't raise a cheer just yet, points out T N Ninan.
'... that it once again shies away from renewing its commitment to strategic divestment,' points out A K Bhattacharya.
Amid growing fears of another global recession looming large, President Pratibha Patil today exuded confidence that India with its "strong fundamentals and resilience" will continue to grow economically.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday said the central bank has developed an innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) based model MuleHunter.ai to address the growing issue of mule bank accounts that are often used for committing financial fraud. Developed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, the new initiative is piloted with two public sector banks.
In the months immediately following the 2024 tragedy, reporting on the landslide per se had been a straightforward affair. On one side was death and destruction. On the other side, survivors and the business of survival. It was black and white. What direction to take was clear. Rehabilitation in comparison, felt like a complex situation. One that is fraught with shades of grey. As grey as human life, explains Shyam G Menon.
He said the transformation brought about by the fintech sector in India is not just limited to technology, but its social impact is far-reaching. He also stressed that fintech has dented the parallel economy and is bridging the gap between villages and cities on the financial services front. The prime minister also said that in the last 10 years, the fintech space has attracted investments of more than $31 billion and fintech startups have grown by 500 per cent.
'When you forgive a farmer's loans there is this ideological economists lobby which says: 'That's socialism. And that's bad'.' 'But to forgive the loans of big people, so that they will be interested to invest further is capitalism and is good.'
The Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council on Friday said the economy will grow by 8.5 per cent, up from a projected 8.2 per cent, and inflation will come down from double digits to 6.5 per cent by the end of 2010-11.
'Some buyers believe prices may correct in the future.' 'This is unlikely. Many developers are increasing prices amid strong sales and inflationary trends.'
Haryana has done well in terms of economic growth over the last couple of decades. For it to continue to lead the growth ladder, the new government has to work hard on multiple dimensions, recommend Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva.
It would be a challenge to India's policy makers how to deal with Trump so that mutual economic growth remains sustained and mutual understanding on global issues are not hampered, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
India's GDP is likely to grow at 6.5 to 7 per cent in the current fiscal year amid global challenges which may impact exports, said Economic Survey 2023-24 tabled in Parliament on Monday. The growth projected for 2024-25 is lower than the economic growth rate of 8.2 per cent estimated for the previous financial year. The Reserve Bank has projected the GDP growth for the fiscal year ending March 2025 at 7.2 per cent.
Inflation is likely to drop to 5.4 per cent in FY 2014.
Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani on Thursday said his oil-to-telecom-and-retail conglomerate is not seeking short-term profit but is in the business of creating wealth for the nation. Speaking at the company's annual shareholder meeting, he said all businesses of Reliance Industries Ltd continue to be key drivers of the Indian economy and have become a success story. "We are not in the business of pursuing short-term profit and hoarding wealth. "We are in the business of creating wealth for India," he said.
The growth will be driven by favourable external demand and domestic structural reforms push.
'He needs to see results while he is in office.'
Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.4 per cent in 2003-04 and the next year is also likely to be good for the country, according to a top official of Centre for Monitoring Economy.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said ndia's growth has been slowing down since 2011, mainly on account of 'severe' monetary tightening by the Reserve Bank of India.
No great economy is generated without innovation and invention, and embedding them in the growth process. This is India's missing link.
Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan said on Monday the economy was likely to grow 6 per cent in the current financial year.
The China threat continues to resonate in the strategic partnership between India and the USA, points out Rup Narayan Das.
'it's not just youth in India who are left behind because of their inability to find jobs; nearly two-thirds of Indian women of working ages do not participate at all in the paid labour force.'
