6.5% growth plausible in FY24, says EAC-PM chairman Bibek Debroy

'Global headwinds apart, there is consensus that the Indian economy this year (FY23) will grow 6.8-7 per cent'

Amid growing concern over the Centre’s elevated public debt-to-GDP ratio, Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), says the government’s debt is not difficult to manage, though a medium-term fiscal strategy is required. In an interview, Debroy tells Asit Ranjan Mishra that he is concerned about the delay in conducting the census and, in general, about the quality of Indian data. Edited excerpts:

Q. Divergent views are emerging as we head for the Budget. The IMF has called for a more ambitious fiscal consolidation path for the Centre, while some analysts believe that supporting growth