"Debt Must Be Reduced Without Affecting Growth": Nirmala Sitharaman On Fiscal Deficit

In an exclusive interview, the finance minister explained her and the government's thought process while putting this year's Union Budget together and also addressed criticism.

For a growing economy to meet its needs and aspirations, borrowing is a must, but the focus of the finance ministry under her is to ensure that debt is reduced without affecting growth, Nirmala Sitharaman has told NDTV. 

In an exclusive interview with NDTV's Editor-In-Chief Sanjay Pugalia on Friday, Ms Sitharaman said fixing a number for the eventual fiscal deficit and working towards it with temporary solutions every year can be one way of going about things, but it is not the right way from a macroeconomic perspective.