Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on India’s economic edge

India maintains its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy through a strategy of inclusive growth, fiscal discipline, and robust public investment in infrastructure. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasizes that targeted capital expenditure generates a significant multiplier effect, allowing the country to build essential assets without ballooning its fiscal deficit. Navigating a fragmented global trade environment, India prioritizes bilateral agreements to secure market access while advocating for the reform of Bretton Woods institutions like the IMF and World Bank. These reforms aim to better represent the Global South and provide more agile responses to debt and balance-of-payment crises. Furthermore, India is actively promoting local currency settlements to mitigate the impact of hard currency shortages, ensuring continued trade stability despite global supply chain disruptions and persistent non-tariff barriers in key markets like China.