Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

India a 'bright spot' on cloudy global horizon: IMF chief

March 16, 2015 13:36 IST

A child holds a national flag.India's economy is a bright spot in a cloudy global economy, with recent policy reforms and improved business confidence set to boost growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

Speaking in New Delhi, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde welcomed the government's latest Budget as 'a step in the right direction', and singled out higher infrastructure spending for praise.

The IMF, in its latest forecast last week, said it expected Asia's third-largest economy to grow by 7.5 per cent in the 2015/16 fiscal year starting on April 1, below the government's own forecast.

A pact between the government and the Reserve Bank of India to formalise inflation targeting 'should provide a robust institutional foundation for maintaining price stability', Lagarde said in a speech to women students.

But to anchor long-term growth and employ a workforce that will grow to become the world's largest by 2030, India needs to open up its labour market to women, boost financial inclusion and invest even more in infrastructure, she said.

Lagarde cited a new IMF working paper which found that only 33 per cent of women in India worked -- below the global average of 50 per cent and the average in East Asia of 63 per cent.

Not only is female participation in the labour force low, but it has been declining since 2005. Lagarde called this a 'huge missed opportunity' and called for urgent remedies.

Image: A child holds a national flag. Photograph: Ganesh Dhamodkar/Creative Commons

Manoj Kumar and Douglas Busvine in New Delhi
Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.