Finance Minister P Chidambaram will present the state of economy in his pre-Budget Economic Survey to be tabled in the Parliament on February 28, followed by the Budget for 2008-09 the next day.
The Survey, which is a critical government policy document presented annually ahead of the Budget, is likely to focus on the UPA government's achievements in the field of social sector and rise in savings, investment apart from efforts to sustain the GDP growth rate at close to 9 per cent.
After posting a scorching 9.6 per cent rate of economic growth in 2006-07, the Indian growth story was seen slowing down in 2007-08.
The impact of US slowdown on Indian economy, rupee appreciation against dollar and rising global international crude oil and food prices are expected to find a key mention in the Economic Survey.
But a booming internal market for goods and services thanks to spur in domestic savings and investment coupled with capital inflow is likely to see growth at close to the 9 per cent mark in this fiscal.
The survey is likely to be upbeat on the performance of the economy, despite the sub-prime chill in the US.
However, on the agriculture front, the survey may express concern about stagnation in food grain and oilseeds production and the need to raise public investment in farm sector to attain 4 per cent targeted growth in the sector.
