New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the government has brought down the country's debt burden from 61.4 percent of GDP in 2020-21 to 56.1 percent in the 2025-26 budget estimates.

The outstanding debt at the end of FY 2024-25 is provisionally pegged at Rs 185.94 lakh crore, she added.

The Centre aims to maintain a fiscal deficit trajectory that ensures a declining debt-to-GDP ratio, targeting around 50 percent by March 31, 2031.

On trade performance, the finance minister noted that India's overall exports reached an all-time high of USD 824.96 billion in 2024-25, despite a slowdown in global trade.

Exports continued to grow in the current financial year, r...