World Bank

World Bank approves funds to help UP, Haryana improve air quality

The programmes are aimed at reducing air pollution through airshed-based planning, clean mobility, improved cooking access and multisector green transitions

World Bank approves funding for 2 projects in Punjab, Maharashtra

World Bank on Wednesday said it has approved funding for two projects in India that will benefit more than 60 lakh people by using innovative digital solutions to improve the quality of education in Punjab and boost incomes for small and marginal farmers in Maharashtra. The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on November 25 approved two projects in India that will benefit more than 6 million people by using innovative digital solutions to improve the quality of education in Punjab state and boost incomes for small and marginal farmers in Maharashtra state, World Bank said in a statement. The Punjab Outcomes-Acceleration in School Education Operation (POISE) programme (USD 286 million) will help improve quality education in Punjab with the aid of technology to track learning outcomes. It will ensure 13 lakh students are enrolled in primary schools, and more than 2.2 million students are enrolled in secondary schools. In addition, 59 lakh students will be supported in early ...

Moving India: Chennai, a city straining under its own transport speed

Charging towards tomorrow on yesterday's transport system, TN's restless capital has blown past the limits of its own network - and a trillion-rupee overhaul now tries to teach city how to move again

India needs more financial reforms to hit $30 trn goal, says World Bank

India needs to give further impetus to financial sector reforms and boost private capital mobilisation to become a USD 30-trillion economy by 2047, according to a World Bank report. The World Bank's Financial Sector Assessment (FSA) report has acknowledged that India's 'world class' digital public infrastructure and government programmes have significantly improved access to a wider range of financial services for men and women. It has also made suggestions to further boost account usage, especially for women, and to facilitate access to wider range of financial products for individuals and MSMEs. The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), a joint programme of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), undertakes a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of a country's financial sector. Since September 2010, the exercise has become mandatory for jurisdictions with systemically important financial sectors. Currently, it is mandatory for 32 jurisdictions, includ

Economy accelerated in Q2FY26, momentum to sustain: Finance Ministry

The review also flagged the rise in long-term sovereign bond yields of major economies and said this could undermine the hedging role such bonds typically play in the financial markets

World Bank approves $280 mn loan for health system improvement in Kerala

The World Bank on Friday said it has approved a USD 280 million loan for a health system programme in Kerala to improve the life expectancy and quality of life for 11 million elderly and vulnerable people. The programme aims to treat and support over 90 per cent of patients registered for hypertension and diabetes in the state through individual electronic tracking mechanisms. It will also establish a home-based care model for bedbound, homebound, and vulnerable elderly to provide comprehensive health services. "The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors have approved a new programme to improve the life expectancy and quality of life for 11 million elderly and vulnerable people in the state of Kerala through wider access to health coverage and resilient health systems," the World Bank said in a statement. The USD 280 million Kerala Health System Improvement Programme will build a more comprehensive health system resistant to climate shocks. It will also strengthen Kerala's digita

World Bank to release another $200 mn for Amaravati capital project by Dec

The World Bank, which has pledged USD 800 million for the Amaravati Capital Phase-I development, is expected to disburse the second tranche of USD 200 million by the end of this year, a senior official of the Andhra Pradesh government said on Thursday. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have each committed to fund USD 800 million, totalling 1600 million (Rs 13,600 crore), for Amaravati capital city phase-I development. Additionally, the Centre will fund Rs 1400 crore, out of the Rs 15,000 crore committed by it for Phase-I of the development. As part of its commitment, the World Bank has already released USD 207 million, of which nearly 50 per cent was spent on various works, S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary ( Municipal Administration and Urban Development) said. Almost about, I think around Rs 1800 crore or something they have released already. So out of that I think we have, I think only about less than 50 per cent only we have spent till now. I think before Decembe

World Bank-funded Haldia multimodal terminal gets private operator

Built by IWAI with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the Haldia MMT in West Bengal has a capacity of 3.08 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA)

World Bank's Banga seeks more transparency in debt restructuring process

Banga said the World Bank was working very closely with the International Monetary Fund and others to accelerate debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments

UP's resilient farming model exemplary for small farmers: World Bank chief

World Bank Group President Ajay Banga has praised Uttar Pradesh's efforts to integrate technology with agriculture, describing the state's "resilient farming model" a global example for small and marginal farmers. Speaking at the AgriConnect Flagship event during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank, Banga showcased the UP model, having visited the state and seen things for himself in May, said the state's director of information, Vishal Singh. "The World Bank also posted its chief's speech on X, where he described what he witnessed in Uttar Pradesh," he said. The UP government also put out a statement stating how Banga commended the Yogi Adityanath government for developing an agricultural ecosystem that is resilient by design, stressing that climate adaptability was built into the system from the start rather than added later. "The way Uttar Pradesh is addressing climate challenges through its farmers is remarkable," Banga said in his speech that was shared by the UP ...

World Bank flags AI’s impact: White-collar job listings fall 20% in South Asia | AI's impact on jobs

A new World Bank report reveals that the rise of generative AI has led to a significant drop in white-collar job listings across South Asia, especially in India’s services sector.

World Bank ups India's FY26 growth forecast to 6.5%, lowers FY27 projection

India, however, is expected to remain the world's fastest-growing major economy, supported by continued strength in consumption growth

GenAI led to 20% fall in white-collar job listings in S Asia: World Bank

The World Bank drew on monthly data from labour market research and consulting firm Lightcast, covering 28 million job postings between 2020 and 2025

Sri Lanka's recovery remains incomplete, urgent reforms needed: World Bank

Sri Lanka's recent economic performance has been strong, but the recovery remains incomplete, the World Bank said on Tuesday. "With growth still below pre-crisis levels and poverty significantly elevated, strengthening the recovery will require continued macroeconomic stability, urgent structural reforms, and more efficient, better-targeted public spending, it said. Sri Lanka's economy crashed in 2022 due to a forex crisis stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and other flawed political and economic management reasons since 2019. The current turnaround was aided by the four-year IMF bailout of nearly 3 billion USD pinned to a stringent reform regime. While Sri Lanka's recent economic progress is encouraging, the recovery is uneven and incomplete, said David Sislen, World Bank Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The World Bank projects Sri Lanka's economy to grow by 4.6 per cent in 2025 supported by a modest rebound in industry and steady growth in services before

World Bank cuts South Asia outlook to 5.8% on Trump tariffs to India

Washington-based institution projected South Asia's growth to ease to 5.8 per cent in 2026, down from 6.6 per cent this year, a sharper slowdown than previously anticipated.

Kautilya Conclave: AI boosting services exports, says World Bank economist

South Asia Chief Economist Franziska Ohnsorge flags India's low net FDI flows

Tax-to-GDP: What India can learn from countries with better collections

Exploring India's tax-to-GDP gap, lessons from global reforms, and the role of social security contributions in boosting revenue and citizen compliance

JNPA among 20 most-improved container ports globally: World Bank

In 2024, JNPT stood at the 19th rank globally among the ports which saw the highest improvement, according to the multilateral institution

The Finance Commission is key to saving our cities from climate change

Its current horizontal devolution formula is insufficient to prepare cities to deal with floods and droughts caused by climate change

WB approves $212.64 mn project to support coastal communities in TN, K'taka

The World Bank has approved a new programme to support coastal communities in India by conserving ecosystems, reducing plastic pollution and creating jobs for 1 lakh people in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The USD 212.64 million Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy (SHORE) project is part of the USD 850 million SHORE programme that has been initiated by the World Bank to address challenges faced by the coastal communities. India has a long coastline of more than 11,000 km, while one-third of it is vulnerable to erosion and extreme climate events. Around 250 million people depend on coastal areas for their livelihood. The coastline also provides habitats for 18,000 known species of flora and fauna, offering vital economic opportunities and sources of livelihood for coastal communities. However, marine ecosystems are at risk by the combined effect of coastal erosion, pollution, intensive fishing, degradation of mangrove forests and urban pressures. "In Tamil Nadu and Karnatak