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Growing inequality between the rich and poor is the top-most economic concern for the youth across the world, while a large number of them want to run for political office rather than just critique, a new survey showed on Monday. The World Economic Forum's Youth Pulse 2026: Insights from the Next Generation for a Changing World 2026 report sought to know how the next generation is interpreting, and responding to, rapid economic, political, technological and environmental change. The survey, drawing insights from nearly 4,600 young people aged 1830 in 144 countries and territories, found that 48.2 per cent identify 'growing inequality between the rich and poor' as the top economic trend shaping the future. Yet in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, entrepreneurship emerged as the most powerful economic force reflecting growing confidence in innovation and self-determination as key drivers of opportunity. More than 57 per cent cited financial concerns among their bigg
Asserting that India is a model of high growth and low inflation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country's 8.2 per cent growth in the second quarter of this fiscal shows that it is becoming the growth driver of the global economy. He also said India's self-confidence had been shaken by the "mentality of colonialism" but now we are moving ahead of it. Modi said that at a time when the world is full of uncertainties, India is seen in a different league. The changes happening in India are not just about possibilities but are a saga of changing thinking and direction, he said addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. "We are standing at a juncture where one fourth of the 21st century has passed. The world has seen many ups and downs: financial crisis, global pandemic, technological disruptions, world falling apart, we are seeing wars, these situations in one way or the other are challenging the world," Modi said. The world is full of uncertainties but India
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said India's capacity to absorb external shocks is strong at a time when the world economy is undergoing a structural transformation. She said the task before nations is not only to manage uncertainty but to confront trade, financial and energy imbalances. "Geopolitical conflicts are intensifying. Sanctions, tariffs, and decoupling strategies are reshaping global supply chains... For India, these dynamics highlight both vulnerability and resilience. Our capacity to absorb shocks is strong, while our economic leverage is evolving. "Our choices will determine whether resilience becomes a foundation for leadership or merely a buffer against uncertainty," Sitharaman said at Kautilya Economic Conclave 2025 here. Addressing the session on 'Seeking Prosperity in Turbulent Times', Sitharaman said wars and strategic rivalries are redrawing the boundaries of cooperation and conflict. "Alliances that once appeared solid are being tested, and new .
Global economy is entering a period of weak growth and systemic disruption, the World Economic Forum said in its latest Chief Economists' Outlook on Tuesday. Noting that India has emerged as the fastest-growing major economy and is projected to grow by 6.5 per cent in 2025 by IMF, the report said the country's manufacturing ambitions face headwinds from newly announced US tariffs of 50 per cent on exports, a development that weighs heavily on the regional outlook for entire South Asia. According to the survey, 72 per cent of chief economists expect global economy to weaken in 2026 amid intensifying trade disruption, rising policy uncertainty and accelerating technological change. The findings pointed to the emergence of a new economic environment shaped by persistent disruption and growing fragmentation. Emerging markets are anticipated to be the main engines of growth, with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), South Asia and East Asia and Pacific seen as bright spots. One in
Climate-related health risks can cost the global economy at least USD 1.5 trillion (over Rs 131 lakh crore) in lost productivity in the next 25 years due to rising illness and labour shortages across key sectors, a new study showed on Thursday. The World Economic Forum report, developed in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, assessed climate-driven health impacts in four of the most affected economic sectors: food and agriculture; the built environment; health and healthcare; and insurance. The USD 1.5 trillion estimate reflects losses in only the first three sectors, under a mid-range scenario, suggesting the burden on the global economy could be far higher, it said. The study encourages companies to act now to protect workforce health, build operational resilience and safeguard productivity before the costs of climate adaptation become unmanageable. The findings highlighted that adapting to extreme heat, infectious diseases and other health risks accelerating due to clima