Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh: '7.8% Is Really A Very Creditable Number'
In an interview, Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor at the State Bank of India, evaluated India's economic performance following the first-quarter GDP print. Describing the momentum, he said, '7.8% is really a very creditable number,' noting that the expansion is being driven increasingly by manufacturing alongside resilient services. Addressing global headwinds and input price pressures, he projected a full-year GDP growth of around 7.3%. Dr Ghosh also addressed concerns over household leverage, pointing out that nearly 24% of the debt consists of productive asset creation such as housing loans. On income distribution, he highlighted that tax cuts have supported rural consumption. Furthermore, evaluating labour market dynamics through Periodic Labour Force Survey data, he noted an overall unemployment rate near 3.2%, while stressing the importance of aligning skilling initiatives with formal education.





