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Meeting No: 2514 992 7784
Password: growth

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Abstract

India’s real GDP growth of 7.8% in Q1 FY2026–27 has generated considerable interest about the strength, composition, and sustainability of economic growth. The roundtable will examine the key drivers behind this performance, including manufacturing, services, investment, domestic consumption, and exports. It will also assess the implications of global uncertainties, geopolitical risks, inflation, and energy prices for India’s growth outlook. The discussion will critically explore whether the momentum can be sustained through the year, the quality of employment generated, and the challenges of achieving inclusive and broad-based development.

Short Bio

Dr. Rattan Chand

Dr Rattan Chand is one of the founding Directors, EGROW Foundation. He is a former officer of the Indian Statistical Service and has served the Government of India in various positions for more than 35 years. While in the service, he worked closely with many Development Partners including USAID, World Bank, United Nations, World Health Organization etc. He has represented the Government at many national and International Meetings, Conferences and Seminars in the Health Sector. As Chief Director, in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, he was responsible for Monitoring and evaluation and during his tenure many activities like establishing Health Management Information System (HMIS), Annual Health Surveys, District Level Household Surveys and National Family Health Survey were initiated and completed.

He obtained Ph.D. in Population Studies from IIPS, Mumbai, PG Diploma in Population and Development from JNU and Master of Statistics from Punjabi University.

Dr. Charan Singh

Dr. Charan Singh is the CEO and Founder Director, EGROW Foundation. He is member of IRDAI Insurance Advisory Committee. Earlier, he was the Non-Executive Chairman of Punjab & Sind Bank in two stints - May 2018 to May 2021 and November 2022 to November 2024. He continues to pursue his academic interests by regularly teaching courses on Macro, Monetary Policy, Global Economics (International Finance) and contemporary issues on Indian Economy at IIM Visakhapatnam and IIM Rohtak. Earlier, he also taught a course on International Finance at UCLA Anderson, LA in 2018 (April to June).

Earlier, he was the RBI Chair Professor of Economics at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India; Senior Economist at the IMF, Washington DC (August 2009-December 2012); and Research Director (Economic Policy, Debt Management; 1997-2009) at the RBI where he joined as Research Officer in the economics department in 1984. He started his career in 1983 as management trainee in Punjab National Bank. Among other positions, Dr Singh served on the Board of NHB and NABFINS.

His expertise is on Fiscal Policy (especially Market Borrowings, Debt Management); Monetary Policy (especially Public Sector Banks, Interest Rates, Inflation Targetting); Financial Markets (especially Money Market, Financial Inclusion) and he has worked extensively on issues like External Trade, International Reserves, Global Hunger Index, Old Age Pension, other development issues related to India's Growth and Public Policy.

Dr Singh has published extensively and has two academic books to his credit, on published by Springer and the other by Cambridge. He has also contributed significantly in public domain through writings in professional journals. He also contributes in discussions on current affairs in leading newspapers and important TV channels.

Dr Singh completed M.Phil in Applied Economics from JNU, Delhi and PhD in Economics from the University of New South Wales, Sydney in 1997. He followed it up with post-doctoral studies at Department of Economics, Harvard University from Aug 2003 to Aug 2004 and Stanford University from August 2004 to Jan 2006.

Dr. Saurabh Garg

Dr. Saurabh Garg is a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha Cadre currently serving as the Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). A distinguished administrator, he has held pivotal leadership roles including CEO of UIDAI, where he strengthened the Aadhaar ecosystem, and Secretary of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Throughout his career, Dr. Garg has been instrumental in shaping India’s digital and financial landscape by leading the development of the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) program, the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), and frameworks for digital payments and FDI policy. His extensive experience spans international advisory at the World Bank, state-level innovation in agricultural technology in Odisha, and early career roots in the Tata Administrative Service. He holds a Ph.D. in International Economics and Development from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, where he was a gold medalist, and a B.Tech from IIT Delhi, and he was also a Chevening Gurukul scholar at the London School of Economics.

Prof. R. H. Dholakia

Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia, a retired Professor of IIM, Ahmedabad, has more than 38 years of experience in regional economic development, economic analysis and policy, international economics and health economics. Earlier, he has served as a consultant to State and Central governments, private sector institutions and international organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, ADB and World Bank. He has also been a member of various committees appointed by the Government and has more than 140 research papers and 22 books to his credit.He holds a post-doctoral research fellowship from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Economics from M S University, Baroda.

Dr. Ashok Vishandass

Ashok Vishandass, Professor (Applied Economics) (IIPA) has interest in Sustainable Agriculture, Risk Management, International Trade & Commerce. As ex-Chairman (CACP) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare at the level of the Secretary to the Govt. of India, he has rich experience of formulation of Agriculture Price and Non-Price Policies, nuances of fixing MSP of various agriculture commodities. Before joining IIPA, he had also served FAO of United Nations Organisation (UNO) as the Chief Technical Adviser. In his stint with the UNO, he provided high-level technical and economic advice relating to Food Security, SDGs, agricultural Marketing and brought out eight Reports.

Prof. Ashok holds Ph.D. (Agri. Economics), M.A. (Economics) (University of Manchester), M.B.A. (Financial Management), PG Diploma in Population and Development (JNU), M. Stat. (Master of Statistics) (Gold Medalist).