India's GDP Growth Forecast for 2017 Revised Downward by UN

In the report titled, World Economic Situation and Prospects, the UN has projected a 7.3% growth for India in 2017. Earlier in the report’s January edition, UN had forecasted a growth of 7.7% for the year. The revised report also has predicted an impressive 7.9% GDP growth for the year 2018 which is an increase from its January estimate of 7.6%.

Salient Highlights

According to the report, despite India’s growth being revised downward, India remains one of the fastest growing developing economy which is ahead of China. China is projected to grow at 6.5% in 2017 and 2018.
The report has observed that despite temporary disruptions caused by the demonetization policy, economic conditions underpinned by sound fiscal and monetary policies remain robust. However, the report has warned that the stressed balance sheets of the Indian banks is likely to have an adverse impact on investment rebound in the country.
World gross product is likely to expand by 2.7% in 2017 and 2.9% in 2018. This is an improvement over 2.3% growth experienced in 2016.
The report expects a recovery in world industrial production and global trade backed by rising import demand from East Asia.
The report expects firmer growth in developed economies and economies in transition, especially in East and South Asia which is likely to remain as the world’s most dynamic regions supported by robust domestic demand and supportive macroeconomic policies.
As a way forward, the report calls for renewed global commitments to deepen international policy coordination in key areas such as aligning the multilateral trading system with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; enlarging official development aid; supporting climate finance and clean technology transfer; and addressing the challenges posed by large movements of refugees and migrants etc. 

World Economic Situation and Prospects

World Economic Situation and Prospects is UN/DESA’s flagship report on the state of the global economy. It is a result of the joint work of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five United Nations regional commissions: Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Apart from the above organizations, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) also contributs to the report.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017