Tepid private consumption holding back investments: Ficci president Mehta

India needs 'virtuous cycle' of demand prompting capital spending that will lead to job creation, he says in an interview.

Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and managing director (MD) of Hindustan Unilever, took charge of industry association Ficci when the Budget is two and a half months away. He tells Indivjal Dhasmana that the government should keep spending on building infrastructure as private investment is low due to muted private consumption demand. He says inflation will start easing from the second half of 2022 as production ramps up.

Edited excerpts of an interview.

You are taking over as the FICCI president at a time when the economy is still not out of the woods. What will you recommend to the government to