"India is a safe anchor" amid global uncertainty, Shaktikanta Das, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, said here on Thursday while suggesting a seven-point agenda for the corporate sector.
“India is now seen as a ‘safe anchor’ because it offers stability, predictability and prospects of long-term growth at a time when much of the world is marked by conflict, volatility and policy uncertainty,” Das said, addressing the AIMA National Leadership Conclave. Further, he said that given the inherent strength of the Indian economy, the cumulative scorecard of this decade is already striking, but the more consequential story is what lies ahead.
Resilience during conflict
The former RBI governor emphasised that India has consistently shown remarkable resilience during global crises, not only by surviving them but also transforming through the turbulence to emerge stronger. He noted that the global economy continues to face an “unsettled and charged environment” marked by geopolitical fragmentation, supply chain disruptions and uneven growth, with risks “decisively skewed to the downside”.
Against this backdrop, Das highlighted India’s strong economic performance, stating that real GDP growth stood at 7.6 per cent in FY26, with an average growth of 7.8 per cent over the past five years. “India’s resilience does not alone explain the full story. India did not just endure the period of turbulence. It transformed through it,” he said.
Das also noted that several factors underpin this resilience, including macroeconomic stability, policy consistency, infrastructure-led development and strong domestic demand. The top official emphasised the importance of inflation control, describing it as critical for economic stability. “Inflation has often been described as a tax on the poor. A low inflation would mean increasing the spending power in the hands of the consumer,” Das said.
Growth drivers
Highlighting India’s policy response during crises, he said the country adopted a calibrated approach. “Fiscal and monetary expansion were followed by a timely rollback, thus froth was not allowed to accumulate or overrun the system”. Looking ahead, Das said India’s growth drivers, ranging from demographic advantage and rising consumption to infrastructure push and digital public infrastructure, are structural and durable. “These are not cyclical tailwinds. They are structural, compounding and durable,” he said.
Das presented seven suggestions for Indian businesses. “At moments like these, when the whole world is experiencing unprecedented volatility, it would be appropriate for Indian industry and business to build organisational resilience, strengthen balance sheets, build new supply chains, protect jobs, reskill the available manpower, diversify into new markets (especially the exporters) and invest strategically for future readiness and for capitalising on new opportunities,” he said.
Looking ahead, Das said India’s growth drivers, ranging from demographic advantage and rising consumption to infrastructure push and digital public infrastructure, are structural and durable. “These are not cyclical tailwinds. They are structural, compounding and durable,” he said.
Published on April 9, 2026