India may be the world's fastest-growing major economy, but does that growth truly reach the common citizen? Economist Praveen Chakravarty, who is also the Chairman of All India Professionals' Congress, challenges the government's narrative, arguing that headline GDP figures mean little to ordinary Indians. He points to a stark reality, 80 crore people still depend on government food support, jobs remain scarce, incomes lag behind rising prices, and inequality is widening. Citing SEBI data, he notes that less than 10% of Indian households invest in stock markets, exposing the gap between market boom and mass prosperity. The government insists macroeconomic fundamentals are strong and poverty is declining, but the Opposition asks a tough question, if growth is so robust, why does everyday hardship persist?