India deserves an upgrade in credit ratings and sovereign outlook: Chidambaram

21 May 2013 Evaluate

While addressing a Competition Commission of India (CCI) event, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that, considering the improvement in the macro-economic situation, India deserved an upgrade in credit ratings and sovereign outlook and that there is nothing to worry about the economy as the Government’s fiscal policies are going in the right direction. 

Last week, global credit rating agency S&P had stated that it may downgrade India's sovereign rating to junk grade if the Government fails to pursue reforms and check deterioration in fiscal and current account deficits. While retaining India's sovereign rating at 'BBB-' with a negative outlook citing high current account deficit (CAD) and fiscal deficit, S&P said that Asia's third-largest economy has a one-in-three chance of its rating being downgraded to junk. Referring to the widening CAD due to high gold import, Chidambaram said that policymakers will strive hard to bring down gold imports. Further, the central bank RBI, instructed banks to not to import gold except for jewellers for export and more steps will be taken to curb gold imports if needed.

The current account deficit (CAD) reached an all-time high of 6.7 percent of GDP in the third quarter of FY13. However, the Government has expressed optimism that CAD will be below 5 percent in 2012-13 and the fiscal deficit for FY13 will be around 5 percent of GDP.

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