New Delhi, April 28 -- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday framed India's economic rise as a departure from "extractive" and "colonial" models of development, positioning the government's 'Viksit Bharat' vision as rooted in shared growth and domestic strengths.

Speaking at an event in Karnataka, Sitharaman said India's emergence as a developed economy would have implications beyond its borders. "A developed, stable, democratic, pluralistic India. is not just good for India. It is good for the entire planet," she said, describing the country as a bridge between the Global North and South.

She underscored India's demographic advantage, noting that nearly 900 million people are under the age of 35, calling it an unprecedented co...