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PM Modi Recalls India's 'Fragile Five' Past on Independence Day

PM Modi Recalls India's 'Fragile Five' Past on Independence Day
What is the Fragile Five, a term that PM Modi used to highlight India's growth in the last 12 years in his I-Day speech? · livemint.com

Many years ago, in 2013, money experts at a big bank called Morgan Stanley worried about five countries whose economies could get into money trouble easily.

They called these countries the 'Fragile Five.'

India was one of them, along with Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Turkey.

India was on the list because it had problems like high prices, a weak currency and too much borrowing of money from other countries.

On India's Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a big speech from the Red Fort.

He reminded everyone that India used to be called fragile.

He said that because of the hard work of 140 crore Indians, India is now a big, strong economy.

He also said India is the world's fastest-growing major economy.

And he said India wants to become a fully developed country by the year 2047.

Key facts

Speaker
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Occasion
80th Independence Day address, his 13th consecutive
Location
Red Fort
Term referenced
'Fragile Five'
Term coined by
Morgan Stanley analysts, 2013
'Fragile Five' countries
Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey
India's past vulnerabilities
Large current-account deficit, high inflation, weakening rupee, dependence on foreign capital inflows
India's exit
2014, after the IMF raised India's growth forecast
Goal
'Viksit Bharat' — developed nation by 2047

Quotes

IMF India Mission Chief Paul A Cashin

Representative of the International Monetary Fund

“India is the odd man out from the emerging markets and BRICS economies that were being called the Fragile Five last year… But the story for India changed quickly… India is better prepared for shocks today than when the U.S. Fed’s tapering started, and more prepared than other emerging markets.”
livemint.com
“Small dreams are not sufficient anymore… we should dream big… India has a big dream to become 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.”
livemint.com

Sources

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