Former chief economic adviser and now IMF executive director, Krishnamurthy Subramanian, hit back at allegations of bias and incompetence with a scathing rebuttal of X. “I took a 90% pay cut to work for the government… I don't want bigotry from anyone, not least the poor taxpayer of the country. There is immeasurable satisfaction in serving the nation.”
Subramanian's response came after a social media post accused him of being a “garbage picker”. He defended his record: “I have not consulted even 1 rupee from any industrialist to keep my independence intact.”
When pressed about his earlier comments about the “inferior quality of life” in Washington, D.C., compared to his previous post at ISB, Subramanian described the changes.
At ISB, he had access to a 4,500-square-foot residence, nearby recreational facilities and domestic help for cooking, cleaning and chores. In Washington, this facility is not available, and daily tasks now take up valuable time.
The 'real sacrifice', however, he said, was being away from his parents at critical moments: “The value of being there for parents when they need them most cannot be overestimated.” Subramanian's honesty revealed the personal cost of his global responsibilities.
In a recent interview to a news agency, Subramanian said that he is enthusiastic about India's economic future. He highlighted the country's achievements, including its public digital infrastructure, balanced pandemic strategy and rising global innovation rankings. Productivity growth has doubled since 2014, new company creation has soared, making India the third largest entrepreneurial ecosystem globally, he said.
Subramanian envisions India as a $55 trillion economy by 2047, but stressed the need for a change in mindset.
“India needs to understand that wealth creation is critical to job creation,” he said, calling for policies that would benefit entrepreneurs and investors.