New Delhi, May 11 -- India should target consistent 7-8% annual economic growth to achieve its long-term objectives, Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) president Sanjiv Puri said in an interview with Mint. However, a projected 6.5% growth rate for 2025-26, factoring in 20-30 basis point risk, is commendable given global challenges and underscores the resilience of India's economy, he added.

"While [India's economic growth] is lower than last year, it must be seen in context. We are not insulated from the rest of the world. The fact that we can still deliver such numbers demonstrates the underlying strength of our economy," Puri said.

"The resilience has come from years of structural reform-rationalisation of income tax, GST implement...