New Delhi, July 3 -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday described India's expanding middle class as the country's "engine of growth", saying that rising consumption, backed by financial inclusion, digital infrastructure, tax reforms and welfare initiatives, has played a crucial role in driving the economy.

Speaking at a session titled "How to promote the rise of a new middle class?" during Les Rencontres Economiques d'Aix-en-Provence 2026 in France, Sitharaman said middle-class consumption has been one of the strongest contributors to India's economic expansion in the years following the pandemic.

"In India, the middle class is the engine of growth. And since COVID, you've seen India remaining the fastest- growing large...