Dr Shamika Ravi is a Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and a Secretary to the Government of India. Her research focuses on development economics, with a special emphasis on finance, healthcare, urbanisation, gender equality, welfare, and poverty.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Dr Shamika Ravi discusses how the West Asia crisis impacts India's economy. She responds to critics who argue that India's growth story is over and shares her views on foreign direct investment, India's position in the artificial intelligence race, the falling rupee, rising inflation, and the country's economic outlook in 2026.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:48 – India's Economic Future

04:29 – Foreign Direct Investment

07:11 – India's Approach to AI

11:09 – Indians' Purchasing Power

15:13 – Nuclear Reactors

17:28 – COVID-Like Crisis Coming?

19:56 – Advice for Investors

22:09 – India's Economic Growth

25:16 – Freebies and Welfare Politics

29:24 – Rural vs. Urban Consumption

30:52 – Economic Reforms

40:43 – PM's Advice Against Buying Gold

44:43 – World Abandoning Free Market?

48:43 – Market Privatisation in India

50:26 – Market Solutions for New-Age Problems

56:20 – India's Demographic Dividend

1:06:03 – Demographic Change in India

1:10:06 – Women's Reservation

1:18:24 – PM Modi's Economic Vision for 2047