Manmohan Singh left strong imprint on our economic policy over years: PM Modi

"India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people's lives," Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X.

Manmohan Singh, who is regarded as the architect of the country's economic reforms programme as the finance minister in the early 1990s, died at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday. He was 92.

India's two-time prime minister and Congress leader was brought to the hospital's emergency department, around 8 PM after his health deteriorated. He was administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), but efforts to revive him remained unsuccessful, an AIIMS statement said.

"With profound grief, we inform the demise of the former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, aged 92. He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had a sudden loss of consciousness at home on 26 December 2024," AIIMS said in a statement.

Manmohan Singh rose to prominence as the country's finance minister during the Congress regime headed by PV Narasimha Rao during 1991-96, for bringing sweeping reforms that transformed the economy.

As the two-term UPA Prime Minister, he stayed at the top post from 2004 to 2014 and served as a member of the Rajya Sabha till early this year.

He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April.