India Set to Become World’s Third-Largest Economy, Says Union Minister Prahlad Joshi

Udupi: Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi has expressed confidence that India is on track to becoming the world’s third-largest economy. Speaking at the BJP district office in Udupi on Saturday, he highlighted India’s remarkable economic growth since 2014, transforming from a struggling system into the fifth-largest global economy. He credited the government's initiatives, including a nationwide program identifying 500 companies to provide youth training and stipends, as key steps toward strengthening India's workforce and global economic presence.

Addressing other political issues, Joshi criticized the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to remove the ₹ symbol from its budget documents, calling it a politically motivated move. He also dismissed allegations that the Union government was imposing Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP), arguing that the three-language formula has existed since Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure. Additionally, he demanded a CBI probe into the Karnataka gold smuggling case, questioning the state government’s inaction. The event saw the participation of several BJP leaders, including MP Kota Srinivas Poojary and MLAs Gurme Suresh Shetty, Kiran Kodgi, and Yashpal Suvarna.