Can India sustain growth at 7-8%?

To do so, the government will have to tackle a number of broad development challenges successfully

Ever since the Second Advanced Estimates of National Income for 2016-17 were released at end-February, projecting gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.1 per cent, there have been numerous statements by government spokesmen pointing to the limited adverse impact of demonetisation and confidently expecting GDP growth in the order of 7.5 per cent or higher in 2017-18. There has also been a subtext that the Indian economy is back on a sustainable, medium-term growth path of 7-8 per cent. Is this really so?

Several analysts (such as Sudipto Mundle in Mint, March 17, 2017 and Indira Rajaraman in Mint,