Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has taken a swipe at the central government over conflicting claims about India's position in the global economic rankings, referring to the Prime Minister as the country's “first SUV – Swayam Udghoshit Vishwaguru (self-proclaimed world leader).”
In a post on X, Ramesh highlighted a discrepancy between domestic claims and international perception regarding India’s economic stature.
“On May 24th, 2025, while addressing the media following the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by the PM, the CEO of the NITI Aayog had dramatically announced that while he was speaking India had crossed Japan to become the world's third largest economy,” Ramesh wrote.
Contrasting this assertion, he referred to a recent remark by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: “Now the Canadian PM — a distinguished professional economist who has been the Governor of the Central Bank of Canada as well as of the Bank of England — says that India is the fifth largest economy in the world.”
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh said: “Perhaps, India’s first SUV — Swayam Udghoshit Vishwaguru — can update his Canadian counterpart when the two meet in a few days.”
The Congress MP's comments challenged the government’s narrative of rapid economic ascent, questioning both the timing and accuracy of official claims. His use of the acronym “SUV” was a barbed reference to what the Opposition perceives as self-congratulatory rhetoric by the PM.
The remarks come amid ongoing debates over India’s position in the global economic order, with varying estimates by different institutions.
India has now emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy, surpassing Japan, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Announcing the development at a press briefing after the 10th Governing Council Meeting of the NITI Aayog, its CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said, “We are the fourth-largest economy as I speak. We are a USD 4 trillion economy, and this is not my data—it’s IMF data. India today is larger than Japan.”
Looking ahead, Subrahmanyam projected that India is on track to overtake Germany and claim the third spot within the next two and a half to three years.
While business leaders and officials have widely hailed the achievement as a major milestone in India's growth story, the development has triggered a wave of scepticism and criticism on social media and among industry voices, who question the tangible benefits of this growth for ordinary citizens.
Despite the impressive GDP figure, India ranks a low 144th in GDP per capita, underlining the country’s vast income disparity and a lower average standard of living when compared with many smaller nations.
Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia issued a sharp critique of the celebratory tone surrounding the announcement.
“Everyone’s gloating about India becoming the 4th largest economy. But where’s the prosperity on the streets? Why are so many still desperate to leave?” Bhatia wrote on X.
“GDP rankings mean little if people don’t feel the progress. What gives?” he added, calling into question the real-world impact of the economic growth.
His comments were echoed by several social media users, who expressed frustration over systemic issues that persist despite India's new economic standing.
“4th largest economy. Ok. But very little to celebrate,” one user wrote. “Unprecedented wealth inequality, worrying per capita income, corruption, shameful infrastructure, tax terrorism, and ease of doing business is a joke. A lot to be concerned about.”
Another user pointed out that India’s per capita income remains significantly lower than that of many smaller countries.
“We are the world's fourth-largest economy, yet we rank 144th in per capita income with $2,878 (approximately Rs 2,44,000). We trail behind countries like Sri Lanka, Bhutan— notably Trinidad and Tobago, which has a per capita income of $18,445 (over Rs 15 lakh),” the post read.