India's GDP Growth Rate Falls Short: Analyzing the Slump

India's GDP growth for FY 2024-25 is forecasted at 6.5%, a notable drop from previous years and considerably lower than the highs during Manmohan Singh's tenure. Jairam Ramesh criticizes the government's optimism about manufacturing reforms and highlights challenges like tepid consumption and stagnant wages.

India's GDP growth rate is projected to decline sharply to 6.5% for the fiscal year 2024-25, according to provisional estimates released by the National Statistics Office (NSO). This marks a significant deceleration from 2022-23 and even further from the over 7% growth experienced during Dr. Manmohan Singh's leadership.

Jairam Ramesh of the Congress party expressed concerns over the drop, particularly criticizing the government's optimistic outlook on manufacturing reforms. The Congress leader also cited factors such as stagnation in real wages, tepid consumption growth, and sluggish private investment as obstacles to higher growth.

The current economic trajectory is a stark departure from previous years, with the manufacturing sector exhibiting a notable slowdown. Meanwhile, India's economy reached a valuation of Rs 330.68 lakh crore, setting sights on a USD 5 trillion target in the coming years, indicating both potential and challenges ahead.

(With inputs from agencies.)