Kamal Sandesh English Edition – July 20, 2019

20 I KAMAL SANDESH I 16-31 JULY, 2019

Key HIgHlIgHts of economIc

sUrvey 2018-19

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the

Economic Survey 2018-19 in the Parliament on July 4. The Key Highlights of Economic Survey 2018-

19 are as follows:

• Survey states that pathways for trickle-down opened
  up during the last five years; and benefits of growth
  and macroeconomic stability reached the bottom of
  the pyramid.


• India needs to grow at 8% per year to be $5 trillion
  economy by FY25.


• Key ingredients for a self-sustaining virtuous cycle:


• Presenting data as a public good.


• Emphasizing legal reforms.


• Ensuring policy consistency.


• Encouraging behavior change using principles of
  behavioral economics.


• Investment the “key driver” of simultaneous growth
  in demand, jobs, exports & productivity


• Rural wage growth started increasing since mid-
  2018.


• Political stability should push the animal spirits of
  economy.


• Poor enforcement of contracts and dispute
  resolution is a big hurdle. Faster legal process
  should be top priority.


• Savings & growth are positively co-related. Savings
  must increase more than investment.


• Constant recalibration based on real time data. Data
  must be created as a public good “of the people, by
  the people, for the people.


• Success of MGNREGS shows govt schemes can
  make a difference on the ground with skilful use of
  technology


• A minimum wage policy for bottom rung of wage
  earners to drive up demand and strengthening the
  middle class.


• Indian MSMEs need to be freed from shackles that
  convert them into dwarfs. MSMEs need to be seen
  as a source of innovation, growth and job creation.


• Policy should enable MSMEs to grow, create greater
  profits for their owners and contribute to job creation
  and productivity in the economy.
  
  
  • India needs to increase per capita energy
    consumption to raise real per capita GDP by US$
    5000 and improve its HDI ranking.
  
  
  • India will enjoy the “demographic dividend” phase
    in the next two decades but some states will start
    transitioning to an ageing society by the 2030s.
  
  
  • India moving forward from Swachch Bharat to
    Swasth and Sundar Bharat.
  
  
  • The Survey visualises creating a Detroit for Electric
    Vehicles in India.
  
  
  • Ease labour laws to spur job growth.
  
  
  • The Survey seeks reform in lower judiciary
  
  
  • Govt stands by the fiscal consolidation path.
  
  
  • Jan-March economic slowdown due to poll related
    related activity.
  
  
  • Greenshoots in investment seems to be taking hold.
  
  
  • NBFC stress reason for FY19 slowdown.
  
  
  • Decline in NPAs should push up CAPEX cycle.
  
  
  • General fiscal deficit seen at 5.8% in FY19 VS 6.4%
    in FY18.
  
  
  • Investment rate seen higher in FY20 on improved
    demand.
  
  
  • Oil prices seen declining in FY20.
  
  
  • India now stands at 4th in wind power, 5th in
    solar power and 5th in renewable power installed
    capacity.
  
  
  • Rs 50,000 crore saved and 108.28 million tonnes
    of CO2 emissions reduced by energy efficiency
    programmes in India.
  
  
  • Services sector (excluding construction) has a share
    of 54.3 per cent in India’s GVA and contributed more
    than half of GVA growth in 2018-19.
  
  
  • The IT-BPM industry grew by 8.4 per cent in 2017-
    18 to US$ 167 billion and is estimated to reach US$
    181 billion in 2018-19.
  
  
  • The services sector growth declined marginally to
    7.5 per cent in 2018-19 from 8.1 per cent in 2017-
    18.