India forecasts 11% growth for 2021-22

By AFP
30 January 2021
India forecasts 11% growth for 2021-22
A view of buildings in New Delhi, India. Photo: EPA

India on Friday forecast its pandemic-stricken economy would grow by 11 percent in the 2021-22 financial year after a 7.7 percent contraction this year.

The prediction in the government's annual economic survey backs an International Monetary Fund forecast that India will grow 11.5 percent in the next financial year.

Officials said there would be a "V-shaped" recovery after the biggest economic decline in more than four decades. The forecast was released ahead of the announcement of the government budget on Monday.

"After experiencing a sharp contraction of 23.09 percent in the first quarter of 2020-21, India is expected to be the fastest growing economy in the next two years," said Krishnamurthy Subramanian, the government's chief economic adviser.

The country of 1.3 billion people has been the world's second worst hit country in the coronavirus pandemic, with 10.5 million infections.

But reported new cases have fallen dramatically in recent weeks and authorities hope the economy will be boosted by a major vaccination drive that started this month.

AFP