Secretary Ajay Seth of the DEA mentioned that there might be a potential shortfall in meeting the FY25 capital expenditure target of Rs 11.11 lakh crore as stated in the Union Budget. However, he emphasized that even with this potential shortfall, it would still represent a significant increase from last year"s capex of Rs 9.5 lakh crore.
Seth expressed confidence in the economic growth rate, estimating it to remain between 6.5-7% for FY25. He supported this estimation with data from e-way bills and invoices in October, which do not indicate any downside risks. Seth acknowledged challenges with food prices due to climatic issues but stated that inflation is not currently a major concern.