Modi Says India Won't Devalue Currency, Give Farmers Handouts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi doubled down on India’s commitment to macroeconomic stability, saying it has never devalued its currency to achieve growth and won’t resort to cash handouts as a way to boost farmer income.

With International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde on stage next to him, Modi said that India has "never tried to gain in trade at the expense of our partners." He vowed to be a "good Asian and good global economic citizen" while hailing efforts to lower inflation, narrow the budget deficit and boost foreign reserves.

"Amid global problems, I am happy to say that India is a haven of macroeconomic stability and beacon of hope, dynamism and opportunity," Modi said on Saturday at a conference in New Delhi. "We do not follow beggar-thy-neighbor macroeconomic policies."

Modi’s remarks follow a commitment last month from Group of 20 finance chiefs to boost growth and avoid competitive devaluations. Steep losses on global stock markets and Volatility Volatility In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, or stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Trad In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, or stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Trad Read this Term in currencies at the start of the year had fueled calls for the world’s biggest economies to do more to stoke demand and bolster stability.

Investment, Not Handouts

Modi also reassured investors that his government remained committed to keeping price growth under control after pledging to double farmer incomes in a budget presentation last month. The focus on rural areas that are home to 70 percent of India’s population comes as Modi faces several key state elections that could affect his economic agenda.

"Our help to the farmers is not based on giving handouts," Modi said. He plans to boost incomes through measures like investing in irrigation, boosting productivity, improving Marketing Marketing Marketing is defined as the business process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' needs and wants.This is a crucial element of any operation or brokerage in the financial services space. Well-funded marketing campaigns are instrumental to the survival and longevity of these companies in an increasingly competitive industry.Within the forex space, marketers perform a wide range of functions to help procure, secure, or retain clients.In particular, newer forex brokers also have t Marketing is defined as the business process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' needs and wants.This is a crucial element of any operation or brokerage in the financial services space. Well-funded marketing campaigns are instrumental to the survival and longevity of these companies in an increasingly competitive industry.Within the forex space, marketers perform a wide range of functions to help procure, secure, or retain clients.In particular, newer forex brokers also have t Read this Term of food and creating rural assets, he said.

“Our recent budget provides a roadmap for our future plans and ambitions," Modi said. "Our underlying philosophy is clear -- to create the climate for wealth generation, and for that wealth to be spread to all Indians, especially the poor, vulnerable farmers and disadvantaged communities."

To contact the reporters on this story: Debjit Chakraborty in New Delhi at dchakrabor10@bloomberg.net, Natalie Obiko Pearson in New Delhi at npearson7@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Sunil Jagtiani

By: Debjit Chakraborty and Natalie Obiko Pearson

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