Ahead of Budget, govt pegs FY25 GDP growth at a tepid 6.4%—the slowest since the pandemic
Live MintNew Delhi: The Indian economy’s express train may be slowing down, even while remaining the fastest-growing major economy in the world. India’s finance ministry recently said it expects the economy to grow at 6.5% in FY25, while the Reserve Bank of India estimated a 6.6% growth aided by rural consumption, government investment, and strong services exports. However, India’s gross domestic product growth has struggled this year chiefly because of persistent inflation, weak urban consumption, disappointing private sector investments, sluggish manufacturing activity, and lower government spending during Q1 due to elections. Meanwhile, gross fixed capital formation, which represents capital expenditure by the government and private sectors, is expected to rise by 6.4% annually in FY25, compared with 9% growth in the previous fiscal year. Sluggish private investment Private sector investment remains sluggish despite favourable conditions, though private consumption has performed relatively well over a weak base, matching overall GDP growth, economists said.