&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘A few jobless people’: Piyush Goyal slams economists questioning India’s 7.8% GDP growth")
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal launched a sharp attack on economists and critics questioning India’s latest GDP figures, which came in above the Reserve Bank of India’s estimate. Goyal said the record economic growth reflected the hard work of 140 crore Indians and should not be dismissed by comparing figures from different GDP series.
"A few jobless people call themselves economists and appear on TV channels to harm the country. Do not fall for this," Goyal said.
This comes as India recorded GDP growth of 7.8% in the April to June 2026 quarter, according to government data released on Tuesday, topping estimates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other agencies.
However, the figure sparked a debate over the government’s revised GDP series. Critics have argued that first quarter growth would have been around 2.6% if last year’s GDP had not been revised downward.
Former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg questioned the data in an interview with a television news channel. Garg argued that revisions to GDP at current prices had made the latest growth figure appear stronger.
"The 7.8 per cent looks impressive on the face of it, but we should get into the reality of it," Garg said. "The current-price GDP last year was ₹86 trillion. This has been revised down to ₹80 trillion... If you had not revised last year's GDP, the growth in current prices would have been only 2.6 per cent," Subhash Chandra Garg told NDTV.
Trending Stories
)
Nepal Flash Floods: At least 1,050 dead And 118 Nepalese rescued from disaster zone
)
Inside the UAE defense giant rapidly scaling up amid West Asia war
)
'Why didn't you save me?' 5-year-old Nepal flood victim, who survived under rubble for 60 hours, asked parents
)
US-Israel vs Iran permacrisis: Tehran strikes back against latest US strikes
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the Su-30MKI flies up to 8,000 kilometres using mid-air refueling
)
China shock puts Germany's economy under strain
)
Nearly 1 million Indians stuck in US Green Card backlog, wait could stretch to 179 years | Gravitas
)
Iran launches retaliatory strikes with missiles and drones; Trump warns of ‘much harder’ attack
)
2,000 pairs of underwear buried in Switzerland revealed something startling
)
Iran war: IRGC strike claim raises questions as Pentagon cracks deepen
)
Nvidia is reportedly buying Hugging Face for $12.9 billion
)
Pakistan faces growing hunger crisis amid rising food insecurity
)
AI sales startup Clay raises funding at a $7 billion valuation
)
Iran war reshapes global LPG trade
)
This Indian AI is making stock charts easier to understand in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and other Indian languages
)
Over 100 children aged 12 & below in UK may have been forced into marriage | Gravitas
)
UN nuclear watchdog report on Syria confirms Assad-Era nuclear reactor plan
)
Explosives found near German power plant, suspected attack sparks security alert
)
Pheromone Maxxing: The dating trend that claims scent drives attraction
)
Volcano that erupted with strength of a million atomic bombs discovered in England
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI uses a giant air brake on its back instead of its wings
)
Shakti Sharma scripts history as first woman non-medical Air Vice Marshal
)
Swara Bhasker issues video clarification over Padmaavat remarks amid ‘wild’ backlash: ‘Never said Rani Padmavati was a coward’
)
Iran attacks Bahrain, Iraqi Kurdistan as Trump claims ‘total control’ of Hormuz; Houthis back Tehran, Peru cuts ties: What's happening
)
AI agents coming to UPI: India prepares hands-free payments rollout!
)
TN CM Vijay opens Mettur dam for Cauvery delta irrigation, surprises farmer with visit
)
Pentagon just launched its AI portal with ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini
)
Peptide parties: Why you should not fall for this gimmick despite the celebrity buzz
)
Meltdown in Pakistan cricket: PCB director of high performance Aaqib Javed explains reasoning behind dropping 7 players, sacking coaches
)
Pakistanis are eating less. What they are eating instead is even more alarming
)
Manchester City equal British transfer record with £125m Enzo Fernandez deal
Netflix to release docuseries on Donald Trump's secret plane switch in Turkey
)
Ariana Grande steps away from public life; bids an emotional farewell in London concert
)
US-Iran war: US strikes Iran after month-long pause
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the glass canopy on the Su-30MKI has a distinct golden tint
)
The Opposition seized on Garg’s remarks and criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government over the revision.
"Subhash Garg has punctured the government’s tall claims of 7.8% GDP growth, arguing that India’s real GDP growth is closer to 2.6%. His contention is even more damning: the previous year’s GDP growth was revised downward, making this year’s growth rate look stronger by comparison," Rajya Sabha member and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said on X.
Goyal hits back at critics
Responding to the allegations, Goyal said ministers from the concerned ministry do not manufacture economic data. He accused critics with a negative mindset of undermining themselves and urged the Opposition and others to stop "betraying" people by distorting the truth.
"Record growth of 7.8% is something that no other country has been able to replicate. This is the capability, hard work, and joint effort of 140 crore people in the country. Due to this, India has emerged as a globally trusted partner. PM Modi has led the country with farsightedness," Goyal said.
Goyal also accused Opposition leaders of trying to present the Indian economy in a negative light.
"A few Opposition leaders who want to see India as 'a dead economy' will fail once again, just like they have failed again and again. India will continue to grow rapidly under the leadership of PM Modi," Goyal said while speaking to reporters at an event.
