Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday tabled the Economic Survey 2025–26 in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, followed by its presentation in the Rajya Sabha. Presented ahead of the Union Budget as per tradition, the survey reviews India’s economic performance over the past year and outlines key challenges and growth prospects for the coming fiscal. Prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, the Economic Survey has been placed before Parliament prior to the Budget since 1960.
According to the survey, India’s GDP growth for 2026–27 is projected at 6.8–7.2 percent, while the estimate for 2025–26 has been revised downward from 7.4 percent. The fiscal deficit stood at 4.8 percent in 2024–25 and is expected to ease to 4.4 percent in 2025–26. Despite ongoing global uncertainties, the survey forecast stable growth for India in 2026–27 and underscored the critical role of agriculture in achieving the government’s “Viksit Bharat” vision.
The survey highlighted strong momentum in domestic manufacturing and exports, particularly in the electronics sector led by mobile phone production, which has surged nearly 30-fold over the past decade—from ₹18,000 crore to ₹5.45 lakh crore. It also noted a narrowing digital services gap between rural and urban areas and referenced the recently concluded India–EU trade agreement as a positive development for economic expansion.