AFP/New Delhi
India's new right-wing government on Thursday named US-based economist Arvind Subramanian as its chief economic adviser as it seeks to fulfil an election pledge to boost the country's flagging growth.
Subramanian, who worked alongside central bank chief Raghuram Rajan at the International Monetary Fund, said he was "very hopeful" India's economy could overcome its challenges under the new government.
"Of course, there are challenges as there are anywhere," he told reporters in New Delhi.
"But there is a sense of hope, opportunity and dynamism going forward based on the mandate of this government and all that's happened so far.
"I think good things are ahead for the Indian economy. Let's first get familiar in the job and then I'll get a better view of the priorities."
Media reports said India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had recommended Subramanian, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Center in Washington who is seen as a pro-market reformist.
New Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed to power in India in May on a promise to revive the country's economy.
But he is yet to bring in much-needed major reforms to revive growth, and has instead focused on smaller initiatives including bank accounts for the poor.
Subramanian published a report card on the Modi government's performance at the end of June, handing the right-wing administration three As and one A minus for efforts to curb food prices and overhaul labour laws.
But the economist, working for the Petersen Institute at the time, gave Modi a D for threatening to hike import duties on sugar, a move he said was "aimed at appeasing the sugar lobby".
The economic adviser post had been vacant since Raghuram Rajan quit in August 2013 to become head of the central bank.