Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday indirectly countered U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of India’s economy, hailing the country’s strong growth despite what he called “challenges from economic selfishness.”
Speaking at the Semicon India 2025 event in New Delhi, Modi highlighted that India registered 7.8% GDP growth in the April-June quarter of FY 2025-26, the fastest in five quarters.
“Once again, India has performed better than every expectation, every assessment. At a time when there are concerns about the world economy, there are challenges created by economic selfishness; in that environment, India has achieved a growth of 7.8%,” Modi said, noting that growth was visible “across every sector.”
Government data shows India—currently the world’s fourth-largest economy—is on track to become the third-largest by 2030 with a projected GDP of USD 7.3 trillion. By contrast, the U.S. economy expanded at 3.3% in the same quarter.
The Prime Minister’s remarks come a day after his return from a high-profile visit to China, where he, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping showcased camaraderie in what analysts viewed as a counterweight to Washington.
Modi’s comments also appeared to be a rebuttal to Trump’s recent “dead economy” jibe at India. The U.S. president has slapped 50% tariffs on Indian goods—25% reciprocal duties plus another 25% penalty over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil. Besides India, only Brazil faces similar tariff levels, the highest in the world.
