
In an exclusive interview, CEA V. Anantha Nageswaran firmly dismissed the U.S. President’s remark that India is a “dead economy,” calling it far from reality. He underlined India’s fiscal discipline, noting the government’s promise to halve the fiscal deficit from pandemic highs—delivered with the current deficit at 4.4%. India is also the fastest-growing G20 economy post-COVID, proving its dynamism. Nageswaran stressed that facts speak louder than rhetoric—pointing to IMF forecasts and the recent credit rating upgrade by S&P after two decades. On U.S.–India trade talks, he said geopolitical issues are best left to Commerce and External Affairs experts.