“India cannot grow on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone. The next two decades must centre around investment, export-driven growth, fiscal decentralisation, inclusion, and sustainability,” said Mahendra Dev, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC).

Speaking in the felicitation programme at Vidyashilp University of Bengaluru, he said that, beyond the numbers, we need to rebuild our social contract between citizens, institutions, and governance. He emphasised the urgent need for climate action, equitable urbanisation, and gendered economic participation and expressed confidence that the next generation of economists must learn not just data, but context and compassion.

Pami Dua, Economist and Director of the Delhi School of Economics said, “Empirical thinking is not about data crunching, it is about truth-seeking and that is what makes economics more than just a science. It becomes a responsibility.”