Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today called for increased focus on fuel, fertiliser and forex amid the West Asia crisis, underlining that the domestic economy continues to be resilient.
Speaking at an event to celebrate the 37th anniversary of SIDBI in Mumbai, the Finance Minister said, the cut in diesel and petrol excise duties will lead to a revenue impact of one lakh crore rupees. She said, high gold prices are creating some challenges on the external front. She said the country’s policy response has been calibrated to preserve domestic growth. She hit out at naysayers for creating a cynical and pessimistic narrative after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeals on altruism, pointing out that India cannot afford fear mongering.
