‘Enormous potential backed by reforms, when compared with other economies’
India’s growth rate in 2018 is projected to hit 7.3% and 7.5% in the next two years, according to the World Bank, which said the country has “enormous growth potential” compared to other emerging economies with the implementation of comprehensive reforms. India is estimated to have grown at 6.7% in 2017 despite initial setbacks from demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), according to the 2018 Global Economics Prospect released by the World Bank here.
“In all likelihood, India is going to register higher growth rate than other major emerging market economies in the next decade. So, I wouldn’t focus on the short-term numbers. I would look at the big picture for India and big picture is telling us that it has enormous potential,” Ayhan Kose, director, Development Prospects Group at the World Bank, told PTI in an interview.
‘China, slow’
He said in comparison with China, which is slowing, the World Bank is expecting India to gradually accelerate. “The growth numbers of the past three years were very healthy,” said Kose, author of the report.
India’s economy is likely to grow 7.3% in 2018 and then accelerate to 7.5% in the next two years, the bank said. China grew at 6.8% in 2017, 0.1% more than that of India, while in 2018, its growth rate is projected at 6.4%. And in the next two years, the country’s growth rate will drop marginally to 6.3 and 6.2%, respectively.
To materialise its potential, India needed to take steps to boost investment prospects, Kose said.
There are measures underway to do in terms of non- performing loans and productivity, he said. “On the productivity side, India has enormous potential with respect to secondary education completion rate. All in all, improved labour market reforms, education and health reforms as well as relaxing investment bottleneck will help improve India’s prospects,” Kose said.
India has a favourable demographic profile which is rarely seen in other economies, he said.
“In that context, improving female labour force participation rate is going to be important,” he said.
