Former Reserve Bank governor Shaktikanta Das credited a decade of reforms for building India’s economic buffers, saying the country was now within “striking distance” of 8 percent growth. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, Das said GDP grew 7.8 percent in the first quarter of 2026-27. He pointed to the sharp fall in banks’ gross bad loans to 1.68 percent by June 2026, direct benefit transfers that have saved about 5.1 lakh crore rupees, and solar capacity of 165 gigawatts.

India’s logistics ranking improved from 54th to 38th, he said. Das listed five areas for the future, including artificial intelligence adoption, deeper financial markets, and stronger manufacturing. He said reforms in banking, taxation, and digital infrastructure had made the economy more resilient to global shocks.

His remarks come as policymakers weigh how to sustain high growth amid an uncertain world economy. Das served as RBI governor from 2018 to 2024.