“Some global reports are part of deep state and there’s a conspiracy to make India appear as poor,” National Co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch Prof. Ashwani Mahajan at ABP Network's Ideas of India
- Sub Editor
- Feb 22
- 3 min read
“We were struggling to reduce poverty since independence; now poverty is down from 30% to 5%,” Dr. Ashima Goyal said.
“‘Revdi Culture’ has bankrupted many nations and is impacting many states in India,” Prof. Ashwani Mahajan said.
“In last 10 years, we have done well in reducing multidimensional poverty, which is recognised by UNDP. Some global reports are part of deep state and there’s a conspiracy to make India appear as poor,” Prof. Ashwani Mahajan, Author, Columnist, and National Co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch said at ABP Network's Ideas of India 2025 in the session ‘The Growth Accelerator Club: Making the Right Choices.’
Dismissing perception about poverty in India, Dr. Ashima Goyal, Economist, Professor at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, and Member of India’s Monetary Policy Committee said, “We were struggling to reduce poverty since independence; now poverty is down from 30% to 5%.”
“There is a transformation in the Indian Jobs market and we are not recognising it. Before pandemic, our growth rate was very volatile. In the past 4 years, policy was counter cyclical,” Dr. Ashima Goyal said elaborating on the developments in the job market. “For past three years, our growth rate averaged 8.3%. In the period of high growth, job creation multiplied and we recorded 10% growth in jobs. When we have policies that keep growth high and counters shock, businesses feel that growth will sustain and they will employ more people.”
Commenting on the informal sector, Prof. Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, said, “They are not unorganised; they are self-organised people, and this is the sector which is saving the country.”
Prof Mahajan added, “After China entered WTO, our manufacturing fell from 19% to 15 or 16% of GDP, which major implication on organised manufacturing. It was unorganised manufacturing which has kept us going. Mechanisation, automation, robotisation and such other factors are contributing to educated unemployment.”
Commenting on youth unemployment, Dr. Ashima Goyal said, “Youth unemployment is highest in the country is because they don’t take jobs because they are looking for Government jobs, as they are permanent and you would get paid even if no work is done.”
Discussing freebies meted out to people, Dr. Ashima Goyal further added, “In India, we have a federal structure, and fiscal responsibility in budget management act which prevents states from borrowing too much. Their fiscal deficit which had gone up to around 4% in Covid times has come down to 2.2%. If they are spending too much on freebies, they will spend less on infrastructure. We also don’t want parties to compete on freebies.”
“Before COVID-19, the debt to GDP ratio was 48%, had gone up to 61% during pandemic, and after that, it has come down to 55%,” Prof Mahajan commented on Debt to GDP ratio further adding, “‘Revdi Culture’ has bankrupted many nations and is impacting many states like Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab in India.”
“If the United States levies tariffs on India it will impact US economy only; Indian consumers will not get impacted; it will only benefit India,” said Prof. Ashwani Mahajan.
ABP Network's Ideas of India 2025, centred around the theme ‘Humanity’s Next Frontier’, will bring together thought leaders and innovators to explore the challenges and opportunities of India’s rise in a rapidly changing world. In the face of climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and technological advancements such as AI, the summit explored India’s role as both an ancient civilisation and a demographic powerhouse in shaping the future. The two-day summit gathers a confluence of ideas from global thought leaders, intellectuals, and change makers, covering transformative possibilities in science, medicine, social contracts, and global leadership, with experts from diverse fields offering bold visions for a better, more sustainable world for all.
About ABP Network
An innovative media and content creation company, ABP Network is a credible voice in the broadcast and digital spheres, with a multi-language portfolio of news channels reaching 535 million individuals across India via YouTube, websites, apps, and social media platforms. ABP Studios, which falls under the purview of ABP Creations – the content innovation arm of the network – creates, produces, and licences original, ground-breaking content beyond news. ABP Network is a group entity of ABP, established almost 100 years ago, and continues to dominate as a leading media company.
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