India is approaching a historic economic milestone, with Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran projecting that the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will surpass the $4 trillion mark in the current financial year (FY26). Speaking at the IVCA GreenReturns Summit 2025, Nageswaran revealed that India’s economy, valued at $3.9 trillion as of March 2025, is already “crossing the $4 trillion mark” during the ongoing fiscal period. He highlighted that this achievement comes amid a volatile global environment where sustained growth remains vital for maintaining India’s global influence and ensuring widespread prosperity.

Nageswaran underscored that economic expansion is inseparable from sustainability goals, asserting that robust growth is essential for creating jobs and supporting ecological stability. “If we have to create around eight million jobs annually for the next decade and a half, economic growth is a necessary condition,” he explained. However, he cautioned that India’s progress must be guided by responsible environmental policies that reflect the country’s long-term socioeconomic priorities.

Emphasizing the need for climate adaptation, Nageswaran argued that most climate-related losses stem from vulnerabilities rather than emissions. To build resilience, he suggested that India focus on strengthening coastal defense systems, improving water management, scaling climate-smart agriculture, and enhancing heat resilience in urban areas. Such measures, he noted, would not only reduce systemic risk but also stabilize the country’s long-term energy transition.

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As India’s demand for energy continues to rise, the CEA highlighted the strategic role of innovation in reducing energy intensity. He emphasized that startups developing technologies to optimize consumption and efficiency will play a more transformative role than those concentrating solely on energy transition. Unlike advanced economies that committed to net-zero targets after their energy consumption plateaued, India, as a developing nation, must balance affordability with access while working toward sustainability.

Nageswaran reiterated that ensuring affordable energy access for all remains a top government priority. He urged entrepreneurs and policymakers to align their efforts with India’s developmental stage, focusing on pragmatic solutions that lower the energy intensity of growth. “Innovation that supports inclusive yet efficient development,” he remarked, “is the key to driving India’s long-term economic and environmental transformation.”

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