In their desperate quest to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic achievements, Newslaundry has outdone itself—this time by turning basic economics into a circus act. In a recent video, the self-proclaimed “independent” media outlet committed an unforgivable blunder: they confused “Purchasing Power Parity” (PPP) with “Public Private Partnership” (PPP) while discussing India’s GDP rankings.
Yes, you read that right. A platform that claims to offer “smart, critical journalism” couldn’t even get a fundamental economic term right.
The Clown Show Begins
Newslaundry, citing an Indian Express article, attempted to argue that India’s rise to the 4th largest economy (nominal GDP) under Modi is no big deal because, according to PPP-based GDP, India was already the 3rd largest economy since 2009 under Manmohan Singh.
But here’s the punchline: They didn’t even understand the article they were quoting.
“PPP = Public Private Partnership” – The Ultimate Facepalm Moment
Quoting an Indian Express article, the voiceover is heard saying, “India has become the third largest economy of the world and the truth is that it has been like this since the time of UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. According to GDP estimates based on PPP i.e. Public Private Partnership, India became the third largest economy in 2009.”
- The voice over confidently declared that PPP in GDP stands for “Public Private Partnership”—a term completely unrelated to GDP comparisons.
- Reality: PPP stands for Purchasing Power Parity, an economic metric that adjusts for price differences between countries to give a more accurate comparison of living standards.
- Impact of the Blunder: The entire premise of their argument collapsed because they were analyzing GDP rankings based on a completely wrong definition.
Fools of Newslaundry 😂
They think "PPP" in GDP PPP stands for "Public Private Partnership"
No, it stands for "Purchasing Power Parity"
In desperation to mock Modi, these guys have become total clowns 🤡
Modi took India from 10th to 4th largest economy
Deal with it. pic.twitter.com/RTMvQeqOpv
— Abhishek (@AbhishBanerj) June 4, 2025
Selective Blindness: Ignoring Why PPP vs. Nominal Matters
- The Indian Express article clearly explained that nominal GDP (market exchange rate) is the standard measure for global economic rankings, while PPP-adjusted GDP is useful for comparing living costs but not economic size.
- Newslaundry’s Logic: “If we use PPP, India was already 3rd under UPA, so Modi’s 4th place is meaningless!”
- Flaw: By that logic, China has been the world’s largest economy (PPP) since 2014—so why does anyone still care about the US being #1 in nominal terms? Because nominal GDP determines global financial influence, trade power, and currency strength.
Desperate UPA Nostalgia Backfires
Newslaundry tried to spin India’s PPP ranking as proof that Manmohan Singh was an economic genius, ignoring that:
- PPP rankings don’t reflect actual global economic clout.
- India’s nominal GDP was just $1.2 trillion in 2009 (11th largest), while it’s now $4.2 trillion (4th largest).
- Per capita income was abysmal under UPA and remains a challenge today—but has still doubled since 2014.
Their argument essentially boiled down to: “Who cares if India is richer and more powerful now? Let’s just pretend 2009 was better!”
Newslaundry’s Anti-Modi Bias Overrides Basic Journalism
This isn’t just a harmless mistake—it’s symptomatic of a larger disease in India’s “liberal” media:
Fake Expertise: Acting like economic analysts while not knowing basic terms.
Cherry-Picking Data: Using PPP to downplay nominal growth because it doesn’t fit their anti-Modi narrative.
Hypocrisy: If PPP rankings are so great, why didn’t they celebrate India being #3 in 2009?
The Bigger Picture: Modi’s Growth vs. Newslaundry’s Desperation
Here are some important points to note with respect to the country’s move up the ladder.
- India was the 10th largest economy in 2014 (nominal). Now it’s the 4th.
- IMF projects India to become 3rd by 2028.
- Stock market, digital economy, infrastructure—all at record highs, despite a war-like situation.
Yet, instead of acknowledging progress, Newslaundry would rather mislead viewers with incorrect definitions and revive UPA-era fantasies.
Newslaundry – Clown Show or News Outlet?
Newslaundry’s latest uneducated blunder proves three things, all over again:
- They don’t fact-check their own scripts.
- Their hatred for Modi overrides basic journalistic integrity.
- They’re now the laughingstock of economic discourse.
Perhaps they should rebrand as “Comedy Laundry”—because at this point, their “analysis” is just a joke.
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