Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday asserted that India will continue to be the world's fastest-growing major economy, underpinned by a strong growth path and hope of a good monsoon, which is poised to further improve farm output.
As per the most recent statistics published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India's economy clocked a strong 7.4% expansion in the fourth quarter of 2024–25. This took the overall growth rate for the financial year to 6.5%, with powerful performances from agriculture, construction, and services.
In a series of tweets on social media site X, where she posted excerpts from recent media interviews, the finance minister said that the current momentum would carry on—and even improve—due to the favorable weather conditions.
"Our markets are getting deeper, and that is becoming more visible," Sitharaman said. "The retailers are gaining, and even the common citizens are also getting the benefits."
She pointed to the government's focus on digitalisation and transparency as key enablers of this progress. “Our systems are transparent. They are digitised and can be accessed from home. Individuals are able to do it on their own rather than depend on others to help them out. These are signs of a very good dynamic economy,” she said.
Discussing employment generation, Sitharaman reaffirmed the inclusive tilt of the government, asserting policy support will be given to both labour-intensive and capital-intensive industries.
"We have been clear that handicrafts, handmade products etc will be provided succour. So in no way are we picking between one (labour) and the other (capital/tech). Manufacturing, whether it is employment-intensive or which needs automation, policy support will be provided," she clarified.
The finance minister also underscored the sustained efforts through consecutive Union Budgets over the last 11 years during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure to aid micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). "This government… ensured that we make some concrete policies that will benefit people, especially the MSMEs," she said.
She also complimented the government on its emphasis on inclusive growth through flagship programs. Mentioning the Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, she stated that it is meant to increase agricultural productivity and add value to farming to increase earnings, especially in aspirational districts.
"So these are areas in which, actually, I did recommend to the banks that in these 100 districts, banks should devise tailor-made schemes for them," Sitharaman said.
On national security, the finance minister also stated that the government would continue to enhance India's defence sector. "Defence's requirements will be met. Since 2014, attention has been given to small and greater details of demands from defence, whether it is bulletproof jackets or getting the goods in time to the higher reaches," she wrote.
Emphasizing recent achievements, she further stated: "Indian defence production itself has undergone a different growth and now they are also emerging as big exporters. Besides exports, the manner in which indigenous capacities have provided us the boon of procuring from India for Indian requirements has actually made the difference."
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