K.V. Subramanian, India’s executive director at the International Monetary Fund and former chief economic adviser to the Central government, minces no words while pointing to flaws in the economic policy of pre-Narendra Modi era. However, he is optimistic about India’s growth potential amid the global slowdown and attributes the country’s stability in face of the challenges brought about by Covid-19 to its refusal to imitate others economies. In an interview with Kamalika Ghosh, he recounts the hits and misses of incumbent and earlier governments during India’s economic journey since independence