The World Bank has projected that India will grow by a robust 7.8 per cent in 2016 and 7.9 per cent in the next two years. World Bank also predicted that India will be the fastest growing economy in the world in the next three years and would outpace China. With the recent fall in oil prices, India remains the bright spot of the global economy as Chinese growth is predicted to slow further.

According to its latest Global Economic Prospect report which is released bi-annually, the World Bank reduced India’s growth rate by a slight 0.2 per cent in 2015 and 0.1 per cent in both 2016 and 2017. The World Bank estimates that China grew at an estimated 6.9 per cent in 2015 (0.3 per cent less than its June projection). The same report also said that China is estimated to grow at 6.7 per cent in 2016 and 6.5 per cent each in 2017 and 2018.

Meanwhile, Russia and Brazil are projected to remain in recession in 2016. In the report, South Asia is projected to be a bright spot in the outlook for emerging and developing economies, with growth speeding up to 7.3 per cent in 2016 from 7 per cent in the year just ended. For FY 2016-17, India, the dominant economy in the region, is projected to grow at a faster 7.8 per cent and growth in Pakistan (on a factor cost basis) is expected to accelerate to 4.5 per cent