In a press conference on 22 May, Shaktikanta Das, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, described India’s economic situation as an “encircling gloom.” Referring to India’s gross domestic product post COVID-19, he added, “Given all the uncertainties, GDP growth in 2020–21 is estimated to remain in negative territory, with some pick-up in growth impulses from, H2: 2020–21 onwards.” H2 refers to the second half of 2020–2021 from October to March.
The GDP is a vital macroeconomic parameter. While the RBI predicts GDP growth using its own methodology and conducts a survey of leading economists, the government's estimates are computed by the National Statistics Office. In his latest press conference, Das remained silent on the GDP growth numbers for 2019–20. But he detailed how domestic economic activity in the country had been battered by the COVID-19 lockdown.
“The top six industrialised states that account for about 60 percent of industrial output are largely in red or orange zones,” he said. “High-frequency indicators point to a collapse in demand beginning in March 2020 across both urban and rural segments. … The biggest blow from COVID-19 has been to private consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of domestic demand.” Das seemed unwilling to camouflage the disquiet.
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