India’s average annual GDP growth from the 1950s to the late 1970s hovered around 3–3.5%. With population growth then running close to 2%, per-capita income growth was roughly 1–1.5%. If we step back from the rhetoric and examine India’s economic trajectory over the last decade, the picture is neither unalloyed triumph nor unrelieved disappointment. India has remained among the fastest-growing large economies, with real GDP growth averaging about 6–7% annually despite the pandemic. Employment growth has averaged only about 3% annually, trailing GDP growth and keeping concerns about job quality and informality alive.

Source: The Hindu April 11, 2026 04:05 UTC