New Delhi [India], November 12 (ANI): Amid rising inflation, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based retail inflation at 6.09 per cent in October 2026 and food inflation touching 8.94 per cent, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Lahiri stressed the need to accelerate domestic production of pulses and edible oils to reduce import dependence and strengthen food security.

Responding to an ANI question on rising inflation, Lahiri said India needs to make considerably greater progress in domestic production of pulses and oilseeds, given the country's dependence on overseas supplies for meeting domestic consumption requirements.

"And despite the fact that dal prices are not cheap, we should be making much more progress in edible oil and pulses," Lahiri said.

Highlighting India's dependence on imported pulses, Lahiri said several varieties consumed in the country are sourced from international markets, including chana from Australia and tur dal and masoor from abroad.

"I was surprised to find that chana may be coming from Australia. The chana that you ate day before yesterday, you don't know where it came from. It may not be from Punjab or Madhya Pradesh, it may be from Australia. Similarly, tur dal, masoor, it comes from abroad," he said.

He also pointed out that pulses require relatively less water compared to several other crops, making their increased domestic cultivation important from both food security and agricultural resource management perspectives.

On India's broader economic outlook, Lahiri described the country as a "shining star in an otherwise gloomy world", expressing confidence in its ability to sustain strong economic growth.

He said India had maintained the fastest growth rate among major economies over the past five years, beginning around 2021-22, and expressed confidence that sustaining this momentum would help the country meet domestic and global expectations.

India's real GDP grew by 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of FY 2026-27. Merchandise exports also registered a 23 per cent year-on-year increase in September 2026 to USD 44.4 billion.

Commenting on the manufacturing sector, Lahiri said its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8 per cent was encouraging compared to overall economic growth of around 7-7.5 per cent, but maintained that there was scope for further improvement.

"10.8% when the overall economy is growing at 7-7.5% is not too bad. But again, as I said, I am an ambitious guy. So, I want why not 12%," he said. (ANI)