New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday urged industry and tax professionals to go beyond demands for lower taxes or higher exemptions and incentives, and instead bring evidence-backed ideas to improve the tax system, along with an assessment of any unintended consequences their proposals could have.

Speaking at a global tax conference in Bengaluru, Sitharaman also flagged the "continuous negative commentary" on growth as "worrying" and asserted that the economy is on a strong footing despite elevated external headwinds.

"India is navigating these waters amid global challenges in such a way that our people do not suffer, and we are far better placed than others," the minister said in a question-and-answer...