India''s premier Manmohan Singh played down hopes Thursday for the nation''s once booming economy, terming a plan for achieving eight percent annual growth an "ambitious" goal. Singh''s muted expectations came after the government this month cut its growth forecast to just under six percent for this financial year - putting Asia''s third-largest economy on track for its worst performance in a decade.

"Achieving a target of eight percent growth, following less than six percent in the first year, is still an ambitious target," said Singh, 80, in an unusually downbeat message ahead of the new year.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012