Monsoon to push GDP growth to over 8% this fiscal: Panagariya

New Delhi, July 27: A good monsoon can help add “a percentage point” to India’s GDP growth in the current fiscal, from 7.6% in 2015-16, NITI Aayogvice-chairmanArvind Panagariya said on Wednesday, expressing confidence in crossing the 8% mark.

“I am very optimistic particularly encouraged by the monsoon. Mon soon will deliver this time. We can expect some pretty robust agriculturegrowth ,” Pan ag ari ya told reporters on the sidelines of a conference of chief secretaries and planning secretaries here .“If the agriculture growth does pan out on those lines...that adds up a percentage point to the growth. That really makes crossing 8% quite probable. We should cross8%in2016-17,”headded.