Data recap: Steady inflation, Sensex at record high, new MPs

livemint.com:

6.7%: This is the average growth rate the World Bank has projected for the Indian economy from 2024 to 2026, making it the world’s fastest growing economy. In its latest Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank projected growth rates of 6.6% for FY25, 6.7% for FY26 and 6.8% for FY27. In comparison, world growth is expected to be 2.6% in 2024 and 2.7% in 2025 and 2026.

Even as India will be a bright spot, its growth over the next three years will be significantly less than 8.2% recorded in FY24. As many as 250 of the 542 members of the newly elected Lok Sabha, which accounts for 46%, have criminal cases against them, a Mint analysis of data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) based on their nomination filings showed. Around 31% of them faced serious criminal charges, which is a slight increase from 29.7% in 2019.

Nearly every party has such MPs, with the BJP leading with 63 MPs, followed by Congress with 31 and Samajwadi Party with 17. The new government starts off on a firm economic footing, thanks to three years of strong growth and a restrained fiscal position. However, the divergence in slow private consumption and upbeat consumer confidence underline low and high income groups.

Growth in private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) was just 4% in FY24. However, urban consumers have maintained spending, which brought the Reserve Bank of India's consumer confidence index back to pre-pandemic levels. ₹4.17 trillion: That's the amount of capital expenditure state-run NTPC plans to make over the next 10 years to develop production capacities in methanol, ethanol, green hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuel, a Mint report said, quoting unidentified sources.