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Congress Challenges 7.8% GDP Growth Claim as Adani Defends India
The government says India’s economy grew by 7.8% in the latest quarter.
Congress says this number may look bigger because older GDP figures were revised downward.
It says the comparison number for the previous year fell from about ₹86 lakh crore to ₹80 lakh crore.
Congress also says the government changed GDP estimates for four years by a total of ₹43 lakh crore.
The party questions whether the method used to account for price increases reflects what families are actually paying.
It cites calculations saying manufacturing and household spending may have fallen.
Sanjeev Sanyal says the older GDP method had problems and that the base year could not be changed during the pandemic.
Pranav Adani supports the broader view that India is growing strongly.
The disagreement is about whether the 7.8% figure accurately describes the economy.
The government reported 7.8% real GDP growth in April-June 2026.
Congress alleged that repeated revisions reduced the previous-year comparison base from about ₹86 lakh crore to ₹80 lakh crore.
The party said GDP estimates were revised downward by a combined ₹43 lakh crore across four years.
Congress questioned the 2.5% deflator and cited estimates of declines in manufacturing GVA and private consumption.
Sanjeev Sanyal defended the methodology, while Pranav Adani described India as the century’s most compelling growth story.
- Who
- The Congress party, led in this criticism by Jairam Ramesh, questioned figures issued by the Government of India; Sanjeev Sanyal and Pranav Adani offered more supportive views.
- What
- A dispute has emerged over the government’s reported 7.8% GDP growth and revisions to earlier GDP estimates.
- Where
- The figures concern India; Pranav Adani made his comments at a real-estate investors’ summit in Mumbai.
- When
- The figures concern April-June 2026, and Congress raised its latest objections on 3 September 2026.
- Why
- Congress wants explanations for the ₹43 lakh crore downward revision, the new methodology, and the low deflator used to calculate real growth.
Congress’s objections
Government and business defense
Reliability of the 7.8% figure
Congress’s objections
Congress said the figure looks shaky because the comparison base was repeatedly reduced and argued that growth could be much lower under different calculations.
Government and business defense
The government reported 7.8% growth, while Pranav Adani described India as a compelling and rapidly expanding growth story.
GDP revisions
Congress’s objections
Congress said downward revisions totaling ₹43 lakh crore suggest that GDP had been overreported and demanded a detailed explanation.
Government and business defense
Sanjeev Sanyal said the earlier GDP methodology had problems and that updating the base year was delayed because pandemic conditions were not considered normal.
Inflation adjustment
Congress’s objections
Congress said the 2.5% deflator was out of step with household price experiences and questioned whether it overstated real growth.
Government and business defense
The government’s published figure used its stated GDP methodology; the articles do not report a direct government response to Congress’s deflator criticism.
Key facts
- Reported GDP growth
- 7.8% in the April-June 2026 quarter.
- Manufacturing growth
- The government reported 9.2% growth in the first quarter of financial year 2026-27, compared with 8.3% a year earlier.
- Services growth
- The government reported 10% growth, compared with 8% in the same period a year earlier.
- Previous-year revision
- Congress said the April-June 2025 GDP estimate was revised four times, from about ₹86 lakh crore to ₹80 lakh crore.
- Four-year revision
- Congress said revised estimates reduced the nominal GDP total by ₹43 lakh crore across four years since financial year 2022-23.
- Deflator
- Congress questioned the 2.5% deflator used for the April-June quarter.
- Alternative estimates
- Congress cited Subhash Chandra Garg’s estimates of 2.6% nominal growth, a 5.2% manufacturing GVA decline, and a 5.4% private-consumption decline under different assumptions.
Quotes
Sanjeev Sanyal
Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council
“Use a deflator closer to what people are actually experiencing, and that 7.8 per cent figure comes down considerably, perhaps to somewhere around 4-6 per cent, if not lower. It is difficult to reconcile skyrocketing household budgets with an economy that supposedly has barely any inflation in it.”
telegraphindia.com
“If you keep shrinking the base you’re comparing against, this year’s number will automatically look much bigger than it really is, even if nothing has actually changed on the ground. That is simple arithmetic, not economic growth.”
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Sources
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