My reminiscences after hearing the talk delivered by the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India at a recent CFA Society India event

The CFA Society India, of which I am a part, had the pleasure of hosting Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) to the Government of India, for a scintillating talk at Chennai on March 11. The talk was titled “Indian Economy: Steering through the Global Headwinds”

His talk brought so many memories and thoughts to my mind – it was in many ways a nostalgic experience.

I could not help but remember the days when I had enrolled for my undergraduate studies in economics at Delhi University. This was around the year 2005 and the air was buzz with the promises and opportunities that globalization was bringing. Thomas Friedman had published his book “The World is Flat” and it seemed like a new dawn was beckoning.

But there was also palpable fear in those years. Would India be able to navigate the sea of globalization to reach its rightful destination? When I would discuss the prospects of the Indian economy with my friends and professors, it was hard to miss the diffidence on whether we could really seize our moment.

Fast-forward to today, most of us would agree that India is a bright spot in an otherwise dismal world. The CEA’s talk, backed by hard data, did an excellent job of showcasing the current strength of the Indian economy. He also, of course, very carefully highlighted the challenges we face as well.

The last two decades have witnessed a fantastic transformation of the Indian economy- from fledging its wings to now spreading it. And it has been nothing short of phenomenal to have lived through this transformation!