Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has expressed concerns about the correlation between interest rates and the increasing prices of essential commodities like tomatoes and pulses. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Goyal called for policy changes to address food inflation and high interest rates, while clarifying that he does not have the authority to influence the Reserve Bank of India's decisions.

Goyal echoed the sentiments of the Chief Economic Advisor, who also questioned the impact of interest rates on the demand for basic food items. He expressed confidence in the resilience of the Indian economy and attributed the slowdown in GDP during the fiscal second quarter to temporary factors related to upcoming elections. Goyal emphasized that the strength of the Indian economy is not determined by short-term fluctuations and stated that the macroeconomic fundamentals remain strong despite recent challenges.