New Delhi, May 20 (H.S.): Amid the continuing crisis in West Asia, the United Nations has revised India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for 2026 downward from 6.6 per cent to 6.4 per cent. The report has also projected that the country’s economic growth rate could recover to 6.6 per cent in 2027.

According to a report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), India continues to remain among the world’s fastest-growing major economies and is expected to record GDP growth of 6.4 per cent.

The report stated that the ongoing crisis in West Asia has dealt another setback to the global economy, leading to slower growth, rising inflationary pressures and heightened uncertainty across international markets.

Senior Economist and Officer-in-Charge of the Global Economic Monitoring Branch under the Economic Analysis and Policy Division of UN DESA, Ingo Pitterle, said that India is not immune to prevailing global challenges.

He noted that India is a major energy importer and is also vulnerable to disruptions through other channels such as remittances, which could aggravate economic pressures. He further stated that global financial tightening would make monetary policy management more complex.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected India’s GDP growth rate for the financial year 2026–27 at 6.9 per cent. This is lower than the estimated growth rate of 7.6 per cent recorded during the previous financial year 2025–26.

The moderation in growth has primarily been attributed to supply chain disruptions arising from the conflict in West Asia and continuing uncertainty in the global economic environment.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar