Union Minister Piyush Goyal Slams Critics of India’s 7.8% GDP Growth, Calls Them “Jobless”

New Delhi: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched a fierce defense of the government’s economic performance on Wednesday, dismissing critics who have raised doubts over the nation’s latest 7.8% GDP growth figure for the April-June 2026 quarter.

Speaking at the annual session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) in New Delhi, Goyal labeled those questioning the validity of the data as the “only jobless people left,” accusing them of failing to understand basic economic metrics.

A War of Words Over Data

The Minister took direct aim at prominent critics, including former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan and former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. Both have publicly challenged the recent growth statistics, suggesting they do not reflect the reality of the broader economy.

Rajan had questioned the data’s reliability, noting, “If we’re growing so fast, why aren’t we creating more jobs?” Meanwhile, Garg argued that the 7.8% headline figure was artificially inflated due to revisions in the base year.

Goyal, however, accused these critics of attempting to “misguide” the public by failing to distinguish between data sets. “They don’t even know [that they should] compare apples with apples,” Goyal remarked. “They are trying to misguide the people of India, comparing growth rate [based on an] old series with a new series where the base year itself has changed.”

The Minister further criticized the “negative mindset” of the opposition, stating, “When you attempt to demotivate people by distorting the truth, you betray the people.” He asserted that the government does not “manufacture” data, emphasizing that the growth is a testament to the hard work of 140 crore Indians under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Government Rebuttal

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation issued a formal six-point rebuttal on Wednesday to address the confusion regarding base-year revisions. The Ministry clarified that the Rs 86.05 lakh crore figure cited by critics belongs to the older 2011-12 base-year series, which is mathematically incompatible with the current 2022-23 series.

“It is therefore incorrect to interpret the difference as a deliberate downward revision of last year’s GDP to mechanically increase the current year’s growth rate,” the Ministry stated.

Political Friction

The debate over economic figures has become a major flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the Opposition. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recently took to social media to mock the figures, terming the GDP a “Greatly Distorted Picture.”

Amidst this climate of skepticism, Goyal remained defiant, dismissing the critics as “jobless people” who find their only purpose in appearing on television to spread misinformation. He warned that those who wish to see India as a “dead economy” would continue to fail, as the nation sustains its trajectory of rapid growth.

As the political discourse intensifies, the government continues to stand by its GDP growth numbers, framing them as a “herculean feat” that distinguishes India from the rest of the global economy.