US-based Arvind Subramanian unlikely to be Chief Economic Advisor: report

New Delhi: US-based economist Arvind Subramanian is unlikely to become India's chief economic adviser after the Prime Minister questioned a request to appoint him, news agency Reuters reported.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would soon send a new list of names to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two men would take a final decision, said Reuters.

It's not clear if Mr Subramanian's name will be on the new list. The development economist worked closely with Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan when both were at the International Monetary Fund.

The Finance Minister informally recommended Mr Subramanian, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to the post more than a month ago. Mr Jaitley was discharged on October 6 from hospital after a long illness.

Traditionally, the chief economic adviser is responsible for producing the annual Economic Survey - a document on the state of economy that underpins the drafting of the Budget - and a mid-year economic update that is presented to Parliament.

Recently, Mr Subramanian criticised the Indian government's decision to derail a WTO deal struck last year to streamline trade procedures by tying it to a separate controversy over food subsidies.

He also criticised Mr Jaitley's maiden budget in July for being too optimistic in its revenue forecasts.