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In a video message from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated citizens on India’s economy growing at a robust 7.8 per cent in the June quarter of FY27, especially against the backdrop of global turmoil, geopolitical conflicts and supply chain disruptions.
The PM renewed his appeal to citizens to continue to embrace greater self-reliance, or ‘Swadeshi’, and asked them not to take holidays abroad, host weddings in foreign destinations, or purchase gold unless necessary.
Alluding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ campaign, Modi slammed those spreading “jhooth ki goonj”, or echoes of lies, stating that the latest gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate tore through the narrative of “pessimism” about the Indian economy. Modi said Swadeshi and self-reliance would help build a developed India for the country’s youth in the 100th year of Independence in 2047.
Modi’s video message from Bishkek was consistent with his recent efforts to communicate, especially with the youth, through self-recorded video messages posted on social media handles, particularly Instagram.
The PM had first made the appeal to people to avoid foreign travel, hosting weddings abroad and gold purchases on May 10 at a public event in Hyderabad amid India facing energy supply constraints and pressure on its foreign exchange reserves because of the conflict in West Asia.
On Tuesday, Modi said the June quarter growth rate of 7.8 per cent underscored surging economic confidence. “We must maintain this momentum. We must keep moving forward, and for that, becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat is essential,” he said.
According to data released by the National Statistical Office, India’s economy grew 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of FY27 compared with 8.6 per cent in the preceding March quarter. India remained one of the fastest-growing major economies despite headwinds.
“I want to congratulate the people of the country for 7.8 per cent GDP growth. It has been possible due to their collective resolve and efforts. India has achieved this milestone despite conflicts, wars and instability and economic uncertainty everywhere,” Modi said. The PM said that since the Covid pandemic in 2020, there has been instability in the world, yet India progressed well.
“But people mired in despair are busy spreading ‘jhooth ki goonj’ and pessimism all around,” he said. He said India’s high GDP growth came as the world remained beset by many crises and supply chain disruptions. “We have to maintain the speed of our growth. We have to grow. And for that we must become self-reliant. The youth’s dreams need our hard work to be realised. Let’s not be lacking in efforts,” he said.
Modi said his government’s policies were good, its intention clear, and that was why the country was reaching new heights of progress. On Monday, the PM described the growth number as a “herculean feat”. He also took a dig at those questioning the state of the Indian economy, saying “doomsayers were doomed and India bloomed yet again.”
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh termed the latest GDP numbers released by the government “statistical gymnastics”, which were achieved “by changing the methodology repeatedly.” He said the gap between nominal and real GDP is supposed to represent inflation, and according to the government, the difference is just 2.3 per cent, but the June quarter saw runaway Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation of over 9 per cent. “This is an obvious discrepancy. This discrepancy has been manufactured by the Modi Government, which has changed the methodology for calculating the GDP twice this year. In June, just in time for this latest round of GDP estimates, it moved away from the WPI for its calculation,” Ramesh said. “If the Modi Government gave us honest numbers, real growth number would be much lower. It’s a point that many, including the Modi Government’s own former Chief Economic Advisor, have made previously,” Ramesh said in a social media post.
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