Citing uncertainty in global economic
scenario, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government's endeavour
to achieve 8 percent annual growth will not be an easy task, even though
it is not unattainable.
At the Combined Commanders' Conference
here, Singh said India needs an aggregate growth rate of 8 percent per
annum to create new job opportunities for more than 10 million persons
who are going to enter the labour force each year.
"This is not
going to be an easy task, given the international economic environment.
However, it is not unattainable if we make determined efforts to
increase our investment rate to 37-38 percent as was the case three
years ago," Singh said.
While India has confronted persistent
challenges on the external front, Singh said the global economic
recovery has failed to materialise.
"The continuing uncertainty
and weaknesses in the Eurozone economies have hobbled the pace of
growth, including in Asian economies. Inevitably, India too has had to
deal with the fallout of slowing growth, falling exports and expanding
deficits," the Prime Minister said.
India's economic growth
slowed to a 5.5 percent in the first quarter of 2012-13 from 8 percent
in the year-ago period. While exports are on decline since May (till
August), the fiscal deficit has touched 66 percent of the budgeted Rs
4.12 lakh crore in first five months of the financial year.
The
Prime Minister stressed on the need to create an environment conducive
for increased investment and savings rates, paying particular attention
to investment in infrastructure sectors.
Singh further said, "as India grows, so will the responsibilities associated with protecting our new-found equities."
For
example, Singh said, an expansion of the country's exports and a
diversification of their destinations will call for equal measures to
protect them from threats such as piracy.
The security of India's
sea lanes would be equally vital in ensuring the country's energy
security and access to other vital natural resources, he added.
"Indian
expatriates and our overseas investments, already present around the
globe, are also going to be in need of assurances regarding their
well-being. Security, therefore, will remain a pre-eminent and key
pillar of our national strength," Singh added.