Congress calls GDP numbers a ‘Greatly Distorted Picture’ of economy

The Congress on Monday (August 31, 2026) questioned the 7.8% GDP growth recorded in the April-June quarter, with the party’s communication chief Jairam Ramesh describing the figures as a “GDP — Greatly Distorted Picture” of the state of the economy.

In a post on X, Mr. Ramesh said the quarterly numbers failed to reflect the “decidedly depressed” private investment sentiment among both domestic and foreign investors. He said consumer confidence had fallen to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, while prices of household essentials were rising and educated unemployment remained at alarming levels.

“This is a case of premature celebration by the Prime Minister,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh also flagged the trade deficit with China, falling household savings and record levels of household debt. He alleged that the concentration of key sectors in the hands of a few large conglomerates had aggravated inequality, claiming that the wealth of India’s five richest families had risen sharply even as real wages had declined.