FM Nirmala Sitharaman on Omicron worry amid Indian economy's recovery from Covid

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that though all the indicators about the Indian economy show it is in a better shape, Omicron has brought in a moment of caution. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS), she hoped that this year’s GDP numbers will be encouraging and India will still be the fastest growing economy in the world. “At the moment, all the scientific evidences available give us a feeling that whilst this one spread too fast, it may not be all that worrisome. But you can’t rely on any such word at this stage. So, there is a sense of wanting to be sure and that is why the Prime Minister has been repeating that masks will have to be worn and Covid protocols to be followed,” Sitharaman told Hindustan Times Editor-in-chief R Sukumar. She also lauded the people of India for continuously adjusting and moving along with changing reality in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. When asked about what is the government’s top agenda to ensure India registers a healthy long-term economic growth, Sitharaman said compliance and the burden of compliance and ease of doing business are the two focus areas. Watch the full video for more details.