‘Strategy in works to shield economy from geopolitical risks’, says DIPAM secretary; Finance ministry reviewing PSU capex weekly

The finance ministry is conducting weekly capital expenditure reviews of all public sector undertakings (PSUs) and is working on strategies to shield the Indian economy from emerging geo-political risks, DIPAM Secretary Arunish Chawla said on Friday.“We are doing capital review of all public sector undertakings on a weekly basis and we are working on strategies which can insulate our economy from geo political risks,” Chawla said, quoted PTI.The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) secretary also noted that public sector enterprises now account for nearly 15% of India’s total market capitalisation, and the government is confident that they will continue to sustain their capital expenditure momentum.His comments come amid heightened global uncertainty following US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 25% tariffs on India, along with an additional penalty linked to India’s trade relations with Russia. The new tariff regime is set to take effect from August 7.The move has triggered fresh volatility in domestic markets. The Sensex and Nifty fell sharply for the second consecutive session on Friday, as pharma, metal and IT stocks led the decline amid trade-related worries and widespread global selling pressure.