Tariffs Fail to Halt Bharat’s Growth: IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva Hails Bharat as a Key Engine of Global Growth

 

At a time when the global economy faces growing uncertainty due to Donald Trump’s tariff measures and trade disruptions, Bharat stands out and alone, raising the pride of every Bharatiya who trusted Bharat’s edge-cutting economical policies. Praising Bharat for its reforms, Georgieva said that the country has proved people wrong with its digital approach.

 

“I’m very big on India because of the boldness of their reforms. For example, everyone told India that digital identity on a mass scale could not be done… but India proved them wrong,” she said on the 13th of October at the World Bank Annual Meeting.

 

In addition to it, the IMF’s 2025 growth projections, released on October 14, 2025, highlight Bharat’s 6.6% GDP growth as the highest among major economies, surpassing China’s 4.8%, driven by robust domestic demand and policy reforms. The growth projections align with an earlier IMF report on demographic dividends shaping economic trajectories, which stated in 2022 that emerging markets like Bharat and Saudi Arabia (4.0%) benefit from younger demographics.

 

 

In the IMF projection, Bharat’s growth forecast for the 2025/26 fiscal year has been cited as 6.6%, a 0.2 percentage point increase from earlier projections, further cementing Bharat’s position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

 

The IMF, however, has lowered Bharat’s growth projection for the subsequent fiscal year to 6.2%, citing the possible impact of US tariff hikes and global trade policy changes. Despite the lowering, Bharat will continue to be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, ahead of other major nations.

 

 

The IMF chief highlighted Bharat’s digital public infrastructure, particularly initiatives like Aadhaar, UPI, and the Jan Dhan Yojana, as transformative forces driving both financial inclusion and economic efficiency. These innovations have enabled Bharat to maintain growth momentum even when global demand remains volatile.

 

According to Georgieva, Bharat’s digital approach demonstrates how technology can democratise access to financial services and empower citizens, making the economy more agile and transparent.

 

 

The IMF’s endorsement adds to the growing international recognition of Bharat’s economic strategy. With robust fiscal discipline, rapid digitalisation, and a strong manufacturing push under the “Make in India” initiative, the country is emerging as a model for other developing economies seeking sustainable growth.