SOUTH ASIA BRIGHTEST EMERGING MARKET: WEF

South Asia returns to the top of the regional growth outlook, according to two-thirds of the World Economic Forum's chief economists who were surveyed.

- CORRESPONDENT

They expect strong (60 per cent) or very strong (6 per cent) growth, a substantial improvement compared to 31 per cent in the September edition.According to Chief Economists’ Outlook: January 2026, South Asia remains the brightest growth spot among emerging regions, with India anchoring the outlook despite mounting trade headwinds.

Despite US tariffs on Indian exports, the Indian Reserve Bank’s recent assessment of a “goldilocks” economy reflected a surge of 8.2 per cent year-on-year real GDP growth in the September quarter alongside near-zero inflation.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra had in December characterised India’s current macroeconomic moment as a “rare goldilocks period”, that currently marks high economic growth and exceptionally low inflation.