India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Saturday dismissed comments by U.S. President Joe Biden that “xenophobia” is hindering economic growth in South Asia’s largest nation.
Jaishankar, speaking at a press conference in Odisha, eastern India, described India as “perhaps the most pluralistic society” he has seen.
Earlier this week, Biden mentioned that xenophobia in China, Japan, and India was impeding economic expansion in these countries while advocating that migration has benefited the U.S. economy. In response, Jaishankar noted that India’s GDP growth rate stood at 7%.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund forecast that economic growth in Asia’s three largest economies would decelerate in 2024 compared to the previous year. The IMF also projected a 2.7% growth for the U.S. economy, slightly higher than last year’s 2.5%. This optimistic outlook is partly attributed by many economists to the expansion of the country’s labor force through migration.
