Modi needs to focus on reviving economic growth, say experts

With Narendra Modi set to lead the next government at the Centre, experts today said the new Prime Minister should focus on taming inflation and boosting the industrial sector to revive growth.
Global financial services majors HSBC and RBS today listed priorities for the Prime Minister as counting trends showed victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
The government should focus on growth, inflation management, fiscal policy and relationship with the Reserve Bank of India, according to RBS.
Besides, the focus should be on boosting infrastructure amid weak global demand, policy uncertainty and persistent legislative paralysis adversely affecting the industrial sector.

"The first and immediate policy priority of the new administration should therefore be reviving the industrial sector," Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Head of Economics Research Asia Pacific Sanjay Mathur said.
HSBC said it expects investment projects to be rolled out faster, which would help gradually de-bottleneck the economy.

Besides, experts say Modi should simplify tax structures to ensure better compliance and also introduce the Goods and Services Tax.
According to them, there is a need for "reduction in subsidies", which have widened the fiscal deficit and limited room to spend on investment schemes.
"We hope for a reduction in subsidies primarily via a deregulation of fuel prices - this would free up resources for development spending and human capital, a prime component of the BJP's economic manifesto," Mathur said.

A strong mandate would give the government political muscle to take the structural reform agenda forward. Even so, "it will take time and the economic recovery will, therefore, likely prove protracted," HSBC said.
Listing out tasks in the infrastructure sector, Mathur said, "Priorities should be timely implementation of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, sector-specific policies for export-oriented SMEs and enacting a more investor-friendly land acquisition bill."
Leading stock exchange BSE's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ashishkumar Chauhan said, "We will continue to work with the government constructively in implementing ways and means to provide additional funding to small and large companies in India to kick off investment cycle again and create additional jobs."

Recording its best showing in its 34-year existence, the BJP on its own was leading in 276 seats, which is past the half-way mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha.