Gender parity and exports are the two critical areas which India must focus on to be able to grow at higher rates of 9-10 per cent per year for the next three decades or more to lift a very young population above poverty line, said Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO - NITI Aayog at an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi today.

“While India has focussed on innovation, infrastructure, structural reforms and ease of doing business but a lot of work still needs to be done on gender parity and exports and ensuring that India has growth with equity,” said Mr Kant while addressing 98th Annual Session of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Talking about the challenges for India in achieving 9-10 per cent growth for longer periods of time, Mr Kant said, “There are challenges of gender parity because in India only 24 per cent of women work while world average is 48 per cent, if India has to grow at higher rate, it needs to ensure that women work. Therefore, consciously men need to push for gender parity.”

He added that India cannot grow at 9-10 per cent over a long period of time without exports. “Exports has to be a major area of growth for India and it requires big thinking, big scale of manufacturing, innovation and constant ability to penetrate global markets.”

Stating that several countries had achieved 9-10 per cent growth post World War-II like Japan, Korea and China, he said, “There is no reason when you have a very young population and light dependency burdens that India should not achieve this, India must achieve this.”