Hardeep Singh Puri, India's minister for housing and urban affairs, said on Thursday that strong economic fundamentals will lead India back to pre-Covid levels in January-March 2021.

According to Puri, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods, the government has decided to open up the economy in a calibrated manner and as a result, India is now on the path to recovery.

The minister was speaking at a webinar on Stimulating the Growth Trajectory of Indian Economy organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).

Puri said improvement has been seen in economic and business indicators in recent months such as IHS Markit manufacturing PMI and GST collections, among others.

Besides, he said, challenges posed by the impact of COVID-19 also presents an opportunity to make an assessment of the vulnerable sectors of the economy and take steps for their rejuvenation.

In addition, he said the government is ready to work with the industry to fulfil the gaps in the manufacturing sector, whether it relates to physical gap or policy gap.