World Bank

World Bank Group mobilises $36 bn in India in 4 yrs, $9.6 bn for MSMEs

The World Bank Group has helped mobilise USD 36 billion in private capital for development in India over the past four years, including USD 9.6 billion for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as it steps up efforts to spur private sector-led growth and job creation. Private capital mobilisation by the Group rose nearly five-fold to USD 14.5 billion in fiscal 2026 from about USD 3 billion in fiscal 2022, Manuel Reyes-Retana, IFC's division director for South Asia, said. The increase reflects growing investor interest in development-linked investments, with guarantees from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) helping reduce investment risks and attract private funding, he said. Institutional investors are increasingly drawn to such instruments because they are familiar with the World Bank Group's underwriting standards and governance practices, Reyes-Retana said. "We are seeing a positive response from private ..

India's poverty rate seen falling by 2.1% to 12.1% by 2028: World Bank

Poverty reduction to slow despite gains in jobs, consumption, and social transfers

West Asia war, debt woes top agenda of IMF-World Bank meetings in Bangkok

Finance officials gather amid an energy supply shock, rising rates and mounting debt, as World Bank chief Ajay Banga warns of compounding diesel, fertiliser and El Niño risks

Energy shock puts South Asia on inflation path: World Bank economist

"Inflation has gone up by about 3 percentage points in South Asia" since the conflict, Ohnsorge said

India among top 10 emerging markets in AI readiness: World Bank

India is among the top 10 leading emerging-market performers in artificial intelligence (AI) readiness and is well positioned to harness the technology, helped by its large technical workforce, globally integrated IT sector and digital public infrastructure, the World Bank said on Tuesday. In its latest report titled 'India and Artificial Intelligence: Seizing the Development Opportunity', the World Bank said private investment in AI in India more than tripled to USD 4.1 billion in 2025 from USD 1.2 billion in 2024. At the same time, the number of professionals employed by Global Capability Centres (GCCs) rose to 2.36 million in 2025 from 1.9 million a year ago, it said. The report, however, noted that the long-term economic and labour market impact of AI remains uncertain. It called for cross-cutting policy measures to deepen AI-enabling infrastructure, improve the business environment, broaden access to AI and enhance labour capacity so that the benefits of the technology are wid

World Bank raises India growth forecast to 7.1% for FY27 on strong demand

The region's governments have responded more aggressively than peers elsewhere as the US-Iran war drove global prices up, and they've relied more heavily on subsidies

MPC may reverse last rate cut, no big hike cycle seen: Neelkanth Mishra

If we can sustain our growth rates, I think the inflow of risk capital is also likely to persist, says Neelkanth Mishra, India's executive director at the World Bank

Michael Kremer named World Bank chief economist, to take charge on Oct 1

Kremer was awarded the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences jointly with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo "for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty

World Bank's Mishra pushes back on doubts over strength of India's growth

World Bank Executive Director Neelkanth Mishra said high-frequency indicators such as vehicle sales, cement volumes and credit demand point to strong economic momentum despite doubts over GDP data

Sitharaman meets World Bank chief Ajay Banga, discuss deepening cooperation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has met World Bank President Ajay Banga and discussed further strengthening the partnership between India and the international finance institution to deepen corporate, infrastructure and municipal bond markets. Sitharaman met Banga on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting, in Asheville, on Tuesday. The Union Finance Minister appreciated the World Bank Group's continued engagement with India and acknowledged the speedy processing of the Development Policy Financing (DPF) of USD 1.5 billion," a Finance Ministry statement said. It said Sitharaman appreciated the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) support to MSMEs through SIDBI, which was processed in record time and has had a positive impact on the MSME sector. "The two leaders discussed further strengthening the IndiaWorld Bank Group partnership, including exploring a larger role for MIGA (Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) in India to

Rising heat poses growing risk to India's economy, jobs: World Bank

The World Bank says rising temperatures are reducing labour productivity and straining infrastructure, while stronger adaptation measures could protect growth and create millions of jobs

War could cut global growth to 1.3%: World Bank Chief Economist Gill

The World Bank warned that a prolonged US-Iran conflict could slow global growth to 1.3% in 2026, while fuelling inflation, higher interest rates and debt pressures

CSM Technologies secures World Bank-backed Malawi project worth ₹3.2 crore

The ₹3.2 crore assignment will replace manual auction processes with a secure digital system, supporting transparent procurement and wider digital inclusion in Malawi

World Bank to mobilise $4.2 billion for India's rooftop solar programme

The World Bank will mobilise $4.2 billion in private financing and provide an $890 million package to accelerate rooftop solar adoption under the PM Surya Ghar scheme

World Bank Group commits $890 mn to promote solar rooftop project in India

The World Bank Group has committed USD 890 million funding support to accelerate India's national programme for solar rooftops to bring clean energy to millions of homes and create 1.7 million job opportunities across the renewable energy manufacturing, installation, and services value chain. The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors have approved the project, the multilateral funding agency said in a statement on Friday. The financing package for the programme includes an USD 820 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a USD 60 million concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund, and a USD 10 million grant from IBRD's Livable Planet Fund, it said. In addition, the World Bank will mobilise USD 4.2 billion in private financing in the form of commercial loans enabling them to install solar rooftops for households, it said. India has committed to achieving net zero by 2070 and increasing non-fossil-fuel-based energy resources to 60

Why Sri Lanka is now an upper-middle-income country while India isn't

Sri Lanka has re-entered the World Bank's upper-middle-income group while India remains lower-middle income because the rankings are based on per capita income, not the size of the economy

World Bank to phase out China lending by 2031 after years of declining

The World Bank plans to end lending to China by 2031 under a new partnership framework, reflecting the country's economic rise and years of declining loan support

$24.6 bn clean energy financial flows to developing nations in 2024: UN rpt

International public financial flows for clean energy reached $24.6 billion in 2024, while progress on electricity access and clean cooking remained too slow to meet SDG 7 targets

World Bank approves $1.5 bn loan to support India's reforms, job creation

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved USD 1.5 billion in financing to support India's structural reforms aimed at boosting private sector-led job creation and accelerating economic growth. The financing, provided under the Boosting Job Creation in the Private Sector Development Policy Financing (DPF) Operation, is expected to support reforms that can create employment opportunities for 11 million young Indians entering the workforce over the next two decades. The programme builds on reforms undertaken in recent years, including tax simplification, trade integration, regulatory changes, and measures to improve the business environment, the World Bank said in a statement on Monday. The DPF supports initiatives to reduce barriers to entrepreneurship, strengthen labour market participation, particularly among women, streamline trade and investment processes, and improve access to capital for businesses, it added. In November 2025, the government consolidated 29 lab

World Bank clears ₹4,000-crore loan for Haryana water security project

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said the World Bank has approved a loan of Rs 4,000 crore for the state's ambitious 'Jal Sanrakshit Haryana' project aimed at making Haryana water-secure and self-reliant. The total cost of the project is Rs 5,714 crore and it will be implemented in phases between 2026 and 2032. The programme will cover 15 clusters spread across 48.94 lakh acres across the state. Chairing a review meeting of senior officials here, Saini directed departments to prepare a comprehensive water management plan and ensure its effective implementation at the grassroots level. He stressed optimum use of treated water, conservation of every drop of water and development of a digital system for monitoring water availability and usage. The chief minister said village-level water committees would be formed and actively involved in the development and maintenance of water channels. A dedicated fund would also be created for their upkeep, with financial supp