Updated 31 July 2025 at 21:57 IST
Beyond Rhetoric: India's Booming Economy Disprove Trump & Gandhi's "Dead Economy" Narrative
Year after year, from being crowned the fastest-growing major economy to being called a global bright spot, the Indian economy is not just alive—it’s kicking, thriving, and transforming.
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, attacked the Indian economy, labelling it as “dead.” Without wasting time, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seized the moment and latched on to the ‘dead economy’ label mentioned by Trump. But behind the optics of grabbing headlines and pushing for trending hashtags, lies a real world backed by facts and data.
As far as the Indian economy is concerned, international organisations, global investors, and—most importantly—figures indicate otherwise and tell a compelling story. Year after year, from being crowned the fastest-growing major economy to being called a global bright spot, the Indian economy is not just alive—it’s kicking, thriving, and transforming. And those who doubt its potential should definitely take a look at the scoreboard.
World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
If we go by Trump and Mr. Gandhi’s version, India’s GDP is stagnant and sluggish. On the contrary, India’s GDP growth is among the fastest in the world. In fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised India’s growth forecast to 6.4 per cent on July 29. This projection is far above that of the US at 1.9 per cent and China at 4.8 per cent.
This isn’t the first time India has outpaced the US, China, and others in terms of growth. Over the last 9 years, India has grown faster than the US, the UK, and even China. Recently, India also overtook Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy. According to experts, by 2027, India is likely and projected to become the third-largest economy in the world.
From Importer to Exporter
India’s economic transformation is clearly reflected in its export numbers. Once known as a net importer, the country has steadily evolved into a net exporter, especially in strategic sectors.
For instance, India was once the world’s largest arms importer. But over the last 11 years, it has made a significant leap. According to government data, India exported Rs 686 crore worth of defence items in FY15. In FY24, that number jumped to Rs 23,622 crore, with exports reaching over 100 nations.
And the export surge isn’t limited to defence. India has made remarkable strides in smartphone manufacturing as well. According to the latest Canalys data, in Q2 of 2025, India overtook China in smartphone exports to the US—shipping 44% of US-bound smartphones compared to China’s 25%.
Global Investors Are Betting Big on India
Global investor sentiment shows that the world isn’t buying into Trump’s “dead economy” narrative—or Rahul Gandhi’s critique. In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, veteran global investor Mark Mobius described India as a “rising star globally.”
The numbers support his confidence. In the last 11 years, India has received $748 billion in FDI, marking a 143% growth over the previous decade. Significantly, nearly 70% of the total FDI inflow in the last 25 years came under the Modi government.
India’s growing clout is also evident in the diversity of its investors. While 89 countries invested in India in 2014, that number rose to 112 by 2025.
From Crisis to Profits
Banking crises and ballooning NPAs were part of the infamous economic legacy of the UPA government. Look at the improvement in Gross NPAs; in 2021, the gross NPAs stood at 9.11 per cent and by 2025, the gross NPAs steeply declined to 2.58 percent—all thanks to the structural reforms such as IBC, Debt recovery tribunals, etc.
It’s not just about reducing NPAs—profits are soaring too. In the fiscal year ending March 2025, banks posted a record cumulative profit of Rs 1.78 lakh crore.
Doubling Per Capita Income
The true success story lies in the doubling of the income. And the data suggests the same: India’s per capita income has doubled from $1,438 in FY14 to $2,880 in 2024. The real story of success is not only doubling the farmers income but also pulling around 25 crore people out of poverty. Strong fundamentals, large domestic markets, young population, and rising purchasing power are not only making India one of the most lucrative investment destinations in the world but also strong economic force to reckon with.
Published By : Rajat Mishra
Published On: 31 July 2025 at 21:32 IST