New Delhi, Jan. 31 -- Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Banerjee has warned that political polarisation in India is eroding transparency and making the country a "mystery" to global investors, even as growth numbers remain robust.

In an interview with news agency PTI, Banerjee said from an economic standpoint, the most critical issues confronting the country today were media freedom and transparency, arguing that investors ultimately cared about data credibility rather than political rhetoric.

"I think India is going through a politically polarised phase in the sense that there are many conflicts that have existed for a long time, and we have to decide, as a nation, to what extent we want to be seen as open and reliable. I think the real...