Stressing that the fundamentals of the Indian economy remain strong despite the global economic downturn, prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the country expects to achieve a growth rate of about 7 per cent this year, which will be among the highest in the world.

“Much of India’s growth is internally driven and I expect we can maintain a strong pace of growth in the coming years,” he said while inaugurating the seventh edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas here.

The prime minister also said that India is actively involved in the meetings of the G-20 countries, which are deliberating on creating a new global financial structure.

“We need to ensure that any new architecture that emerges is suited to the new challenges facing the world economy and simultaneously it must be reflective of the changes that have taken place in the economic structure over the years,” Singh said.