Mukherjee hopeful of 7 pct growth in FY10

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The finance minister said on Monday he expects the economy to grow around 7 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2010.

"I am quite hopeful that if this trend continues, we will have higher GDP growth than anticipated. I hope it will be around 7 percent," Pranab Mukherjee told reporters.

Government data showed on Monday the economy grew by 7.9 percent in the quarter through September from a year earlier, shattering market forecasts as stimulus measures boosted demand and manufacturing activity surged.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by John Mair)

(For more news on Reuters Money visit www.reutersmoney.in)