Economy to grow around 7% in ’09: Pranab

India’s economy will expand around 7 per cent in the year to March,External Affairs and stand-in Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday,in line with the RBI and government estimates.

“Even at this stage,the projection of the growth,though it will not be 8.9-8.8 percent,but it would be around 7 percent,” Pranab Mukherjee told reporters. “There is no doubt in it.”

The RBI on Tuesday cut its forecast for the year to 7 per cent with a downward bias,from an earlier estimate of 7-7.5 per cent. India has grown at 9 per cent or more in the last three fiscal years.