In view of the theme of the conference, viz., 'Inclusive Growth – A New Challenge', I thought it would be appropriate to place financial inclusion within the broad context of economic growth. There is yet another motivation for choosing the theme. What is the big change that has taken place in India since 2004?
The Indian growth story has been steadily coming of age and the performance of the Indian economy has attracted worldwide attention. The Indian growth story is now mentioned in the same breath as that of China. The economy has been averaging a growth rate of more than 8.0 per cent during the last three years.