The government expects the economy to expand by 7.2 this fiscal and increase by 8.5 per cent in the next, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee [ Images ] said on Monday.

"We are sticking to the advance estimate of 7.2 per cent for 2009-10...," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Bangalore.

For 2010-11, the country hopes to achieve a gross domestic product growth of 8.5 per cent (plus or minus of 0.25 per cent), he said.

Image: Pranab Mukherjee