Archive · 8 Dec 2025
India's Economic Growth Challenge for 2047
India wants to become a developed country by 2047, which means its economy needs to grow by 8% every year for the next 20 years.
Right now, the economy grows by about 6.5% each year.
To reach the 8% goal, India needs to have some years with even higher growth to make up for slower years.
In the past, India's economy grew faster because of better performance in services and manufacturing, and more trade with other countries.
However, recently, the global economy has been slower, and businesses in India are not as active as they were before.
The government is trying to make it easier for businesses to operate and is spending more money to help the economy grow.
But to really succeed, the government needs to focus on increasing demand for goods and services, making it easier for businesses to operate, and improving the lives of all Indians.
Some experts, like Raghuram Rajan, think it might take 15-30 years to reach 8% growth and question the accuracy of India's reported growth numbers.
India needs an average annual growth rate of 8.0% to become a developed economy by 2047, up from the current 6.5%.
The 6.5% average growth over the past 25 years includes periods of both high and low growth, such as post-demonetisation and post-Covid lockdown years.
To achieve the 8.0% average, India must have growth spurts of at least 10.0% in some years to compensate for slower years.
Post-Covid growth has been driven by public investment and government spending, but private sector involvement is crucial for sustained growth.
The global economic environment is less supportive now compared to the early 2000s, and domestic demand for goods and services has slowed down.
- Who
- Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Sanjaya Baru, and Raghuram Rajan
- What
- Discussion on the economic growth needed for India to become a developed nation by 2047
- When
- The discussion is based on recent economic data and future projections
- Where
- The discussion took place at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) in Hyderabad and the UBS Center Forum for Economic Dialogue
- Why
- To assess the feasibility of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 and the challenges involved
- Target Growth Rate
- 8.0% annually until 2047
- Current Average Growth
- 6.5% annually over past 25 years
- Growth Rate Needed for Developed Status
- 8.0% annually for next 20 years
- Growth Rate Post-Covid
- 6.5% annually
- Growth Rate 1950-1980
- 3.5% annually
- Growth Rate 1980-2000
- 5.5% annually
- Growth Rate 2003-2020
- 8.0% annually
- Growth Rate 2000-2025
- 6.5% annually (long-term average)