Economic growth to exceed 7% in current fiscal: Montek

The Planning Commission on Wednesday expressed optimism that economic growth during the current year will exceed 7 per cent, up from 6.7 per cent recorded during 2008-09.

The Planning Commission on Wednesday expressed optimism that economic growth during the current year will exceed 7 per cent, up from 6.7 per cent recorded during 2008-09.

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"We will do better than 7 per cent in 2009-10 and in the next year that is 2010-11 the economic growth would be around
8 per cent," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said while speaking at the 104th annual session of
the industry chamber PHDCCI.

Commenting on the statement of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that 9-10 per cent was "within reach", Ahluwalia
said, "I agree with him...we will get back to 9 per cent during 2011-12."

However, about the Commission's assessment of the economic growth, Ahluwalia said, "We would be able to tell you once we complete our mid-term appraisal of the XIth five-year plan, which is likely to be completed by January."

India was growing by 9 per cent before the global financial crisis hit the world economy and pulled down the country's growth rate to 6.7 per cent during 2008-09.

The Planning Commission had earlier projected a growth rate of 6.5 per cent for the current fiscal. However, after
the economy in the second quarter (July-September 2009) expanded by 7.9 per cent, several think tanks including the Commission talked about raising the projections.