Piyush Goyal Defends 7.8% Q1 GDP Growth, Hits Out at Critics

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday defended the government's GDP growth figures for the first quarter of fiscal 2026-27, pushing back against critics who have questioned the data. India's economy grew 7.8% in real terms during the period, according to the revised GDP series.

Addressing reporters, Mr. Goyal described India as an "oasis in the desert" amid global economic turmoil, reiterating that the country remains the fastest-growing among the world's large economies. He took aim at Opposition leaders and former officials, including former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg, who have cast doubt on the numbers.

"They don't even know how to compare apples with apples," Mr. Goyal said, accusing critics of misleading the public by comparing growth rates from an old series with the new one, where the base year has changed. He also referred to former officials who "could not complete their time" in government, suggesting their criticism lacked credibility.

Responding to questions about job creation, Mr. Goyal said demand for workers is strong, particularly in the textile sector. He cited requests from industry in Tiruppur seeking additional labour, saying, "Send me 100,000 people in Tiruppur, we will fill and provide them a job."

The Minister dismissed naysayers as the "only jobless people left," adding that their only remaining occupation appears to be appearing on television panels to "manufacture arguments."

Mr. Garg had earlier claimed that GDP growth would have been around 2.6% in current prices had last year's GDP not been revised down from roughly ₹86 lakh crore to ₹80 lakh crore.

Mr. Goyal asserted that politicians and ministers do not manufacture economic figures, and urged critics not to belittle themselves by adopting a negative mindset towards official data.