New Delhi, Aug 18 - The country' strong performance even amid the global economic slowdown shows that the new century belongs to India, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia said here Tuesday.

'India has buffered itself quite well against the global economic tsunami... and is now a force to reckon with, a nation whose voice is heard in every forum,' Scindia said in his address at the Confederation of India Industry's (CII) annual marketing summit.

'I believe this century can be India's century,' he added.

The minister attributed India's strong performance partly to the 'domestic nature of our economy,' the strong banking system and the various monetary and fiscal policies pursued by the government.

'India may well be pioneering the next wave of global growth,' Scindia said.

Even as most of the advanced economies are yet to recover from the crisis, India is expected to grow 8 percent in 2010 and may overtake China in future, he added.