India will pursue economic reforms agenda: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said even as India is now the fastest growing economy and ranks at the top in terms of favoured investment destination, reforms will continue to be pursued in the right earnest.

“My agenda for reform to transform is yet to be finished,” the prime minister told the “Advancing Asia” summit here co-hosted here by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government of India. “Entrepreneurship is also booming, following a series of steps we have taken.”

With IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on the dias, Mr. Modi said reform of global institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF has to be an on-going process. But even now they don’t reflect the global economics realities.

“I am very happy that the IMF has decided to finalise the next round of quota changes by October 2017,” he said, a day after his government tabled a supplementary demand of grant of Rs. 69,575 crore in parliament for increasing



India’s quota in IMF with higher voting rights.

Mr. Modi said many knowledgeable people have said that the 21st century is and shall remain the Asian Century, where India has a special place. “We are a ray of hope for global economic recovery,” he said.

“India has also dispelled the myth that democracy and rapid economic growth cannot go together,” Mr. Modi said, adding his country has also shown the world that a large, diverse country like India can be managed in a way that can promote economic growth and maintain social stability.

The prime minister said along with focus on macro economic stability, removing corruption and also interference in decisions of banks and regulators, his government is also helping the farm sector but not based on giving hand-outs.

“We aim to double farmer incomes,” he said, adding: “We have increased investment in the rural and agriculture sector, because that is where a majority of India still lives.”