Green shoots have begun to be visible in economy: Modi to chief ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India's fight against coronavirus will serve as an example of cooperative federalism.

He underscored in a meeting with chief ministers to discuss how best to tackle the health crisis emerging out of this pandemic, Hindustan Times reported.

Modi also stressed that the economy has started to look up.

"Because of the efforts made in the last few weeks, green shoots have begun to be visible in our economy," said the PM.

Narendra Modi had started his online conference with Chief Ministers to discuss coronavirus and plans for after June 30, when the current phase of the countrywide lockdown comes to an end, reported NDTV.

The meeting comes amid a 'violent face-off" between India and China in Ladakh that took place overnight.

With an "economic focus", the Centre, what it dubbed Unlock 1, went about gradually opening the economy in a three-phased plan. The domestic flights have started resumption of services; the shopping malls, restaurants, places of worship have been opened. Metro services, however, remain shut. Public transport - buses, private cabs - too is available under the new guidelines. A lockdown is still in place in containment zones till June 30.

The PM spotlighted that many people have returned to the country in the recent past yet the impact of the coronavirus here is not "that huge" as compared to the world situation.

"In the last few weeks, thousands of Indians returned to India from abroad and hundreds of migrant workers reached their hometowns. Almost all modes of transport have resumed operations, still Covid-19 impact has not been that huge in India as in other parts of the world," said the PM.