Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- India’s economy will grow about 7 percent in the 12 months ending March 31, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in Chennai today.

“Despite the global economic downturn, the fundamentals of Indian economy continue to remain strong,” Singh said. “Much of India’s growth is internally driven and I expect we can maintain a strong pace of growth in the coming years.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Kartik Goyal in New Delhi at kgoyal@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 8, 2009 01:00 EST