INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Ms Sitharaman's comments, followed data released on Friday that showed economic growth slowed to 4.5%.New Delhi: Government will unveil a
years, the finance minister said on Saturday, in a push to improve the country's economy.Nirmala Sitharaman's comments, as cited in local
newspapers, followed data released on Friday that showed economic growth slowed to 4.5 per cent in the July-September quarter - its weakest
pace since 2013 - upping the pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to speed reforms."A set of officers are looking into the
pipeline of projects that can be readied so that once the fund is ready, it could be front-loaded on these projects," Ms Sitharaman said at
a business summit in Mumbai, the newspapers reported."That task is nearly completed
Before December 15, we will be able to announce frontloading of at least ten projects," she said.PM Modi came to power in 2014 on the
promise to improve economy and boost foreign investments, but he has struggled to meet those aims due to a lack of structural reforms.PM
Modi won a second term in May and has taken various measures since 2014 to spur growth, including cutting the corporate tax and speeding up
privatisation of state-run firms.But several economic indicators show domestic consumption is weak, and many economists expect the current
slowdown could persist for another two years.
