Picture : ANI/X ( File)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said India stands out as a fast-growing economy and will soon be the third-largest in the world.
According to media reports, Delivering the Diamond Jubilee Valedictory Lecture at Delhi School of Economics (DSE), she said India is moving fast on so many different parameters, which are largely economic.
“Of course, India and its population, India and its location have strategic significance, but India stands together today and stands tall and stands distinctly on its feet because of the economic strength of India,” she said.
“What is making us literally stand out is the fast movement from the tenth largest economy in 2014 to fifth and the fourth, and now sooner, probably to the third,” she said.
She emphasised that Indians should believe in themselves and the country’s economic strength.
“We, as Indians contributing to the economy, must have faith that we are achieving our goals through our own efforts. We should not be swayed by those who say our economy is not up to the mark. Who can ever tell a nation of 140 crore people that we are a dead economy? It’s alright for people from outside to taunt us, but we within the country should never decry the efforts and achievements of our own people,” she said.
Stressing that economic growth has been inclusive, she said, ‘that is why, as a country, we were able to get 25 million people out of multi-dimensional poverty. It’s our own people’s contribution. It’s all our contribution.’
