The article examines the features and prospects of Russia's economic growth. Two variants of GDP increase are given. The dynamics of changes in the GDP of Russia and the index of industrial production in the period from 2006 to 2016 are shown. The causes of GDP changes for the analyzed period are revealed. The main goals and tools for the development of the high-tech sector are considered. It is concluded that Russia, to date, is moving along an extensive path of development, trying to take an intensive route, as evidenced by the adopted programs to create a high-tech sector and a small increase in NTP, the development of cluster policy.