India to become 3rd largest economy by 2027 overtaking Japan and Germany; says FM Sitharaman

Digital Desk: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that India is anticipated to surpass Japan and Germany to become the world's third-largest economy by 2027.

Sitharaman, speaking at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue here, said India's economic growth is expected to be just under 7% this year, the highest among major nations despite global headwinds.

According to her, the Indian economy is on the right road and will have a bright future.

Sitharaman described India's 'Blue economy' as accounting for around 4% of GDP and representing a sea of opportunity.

According to her, India has nine states and four union territories on the coast, 12 major and 200 minor ports, and a wide network of navigable waterways for international and local trade.

As per the UNCTAD, India will be the world's second-largest exporter of ocean-based goods and services in 2020.

Sitharaman stated that the Indo-Pacific area is without a doubt the world's most economically vibrant region, accounting for 60% of global GDP and nearly 50% of global goods trade.

The Indo-Pacific, on the other hand, is a geopolitically disputed zone roiled by great power conflict, she added.

"One derives legitimacy from an internationally accepted and mutually agreed-upon rules-based order. India is firmly and proudly at the forefront of this system," she remarked.

Sitharaman stated that while India accelerates its economic progress and lifts its teeming millions out of poverty and into wealth, it is achieving tremendous improvements in its overall national might and worldwide reputation.

"Our focus on transitioning from a 'brown' economic model to a 'blue' one and thereafter extrapolating this blue transition across the length and breadth of the Indo-Pacific demands that we shoulder greater and heavier regional responsibilities, and this is precisely what we are doing," she added.

In terms of foreign shipments, she stated that India has risen from 44th place in 2014 to 22nd place in 2023.

Similarly, according to the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index report 2023, the 'turn-around time' of Indian ports is now 0.9 days, which is lower than ports in major maritime hubs such as Singapore, the UAE, Germany, the United States, Australia, Russia, and South Africa.