New Delhi, February 1, 2010: India is expected to grow at 7.5 and 8 percent in the financial year 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively, well above the 6.4 percent average posted during 1995-2005 (FY-basis). This comes at a time when the recovery in the world economy remains fragile and is expected to slow later this year as the impact of fiscal stimulus wanes, says a new World Bank report.
Global Economic Prospects 2010, released in New Delhi today, says India’s growth will benefit from a firming in external demand, particularly by the resumption of growth in high-income countries, which represent about two-thirds of India's export markets. Although FDI inflows to India declined considerably in 2009, estimated at $35 billion compared to $41 billion the previous year, the country remains one of the top three developing country destinations for foreign investors.
FDI flows to India are expected to increase in 2010, as overall investment to developing countries recovers this year, and as the country continues to improve its FDI policies by simplifying investment procedures and relaxing investment limits in some sectors.
"India weathered the global crisis relatively well, in part due to the government's quick response in easing monetary policy and counter-cyclical fiscal-policy measures that supported domestic demand," said Hans Timmer, Director of the World Bank Prospects Group. "India is also less specialized in manufacturing or natural resources--sectors which have been particularly negatively impacted by the crisis. Looking ahead, a key challenge for the country--as with many countries in the region and abroad--will be to reduce its large fiscal deficit."
The report also shares areas of concern. As private consumption gains momentum (following the marked deceleration during the crisis), India’s import volumes are likely to expand and are projected to outpace the recovery in exports, translating into a deterioration in the current account balance and negative contribution to growth of net exports.
Macro-policy is also expected to become much less expansionary. As fiscal consolidation is pursued, the impetus to growth, stemming from public consumption, is expected to sharply moderate.
While diversification and reforms in the country’s agricultural sector over recent years are likely to help cushion the negative impact of last year's poor monsoon, the resulting poor harvest is expected to lead to a lower contribution to growth of agricultural output and constrain the rebound in household consumption in 2010, the report says.
On the global front, the report, however, warns that while the worst of the financial crisis may be over, the global recovery is fragile. It predicts that the fallout from the crisis will change the landscape for finance and growth over the next 10 years.
Despite the return to positive growth, it will take several years before economies recoup the losses already endured, it says. It estimates that about 64 million more people will be living in extreme poverty (on less than $1.25 a day) by the end of 2010 than would have been the case had the crisis not occurred.
Further, over the next 5 to 10 years, increased risk aversion, a more prudent regulatory stance, and the need to curb some of the riskier lending practices during the boom period that preceded the crisis can be expected to result in scarcer, more expensive capital for developing countries.
Global GDP, which declined by 2.2 percent in 2009, is expected to grow 2.7 percent this year and 3.2 percent in 2011*. Prospects for developing countries are for a relatively robust recovery, growing 5.2 percent this year and 5.8 percent in 2011 -- up from 1.2 percent in 2009. GDP in rich countries, which declined by 3.3 percent in 2009, is expected to increase much less quickly—by 1.8 and 2.3 percent in 2010 and 2011. World trade volumes, which fell by a staggering 14.4 percent in 2009, are projected to expand by 4.3 and 6.2 percent this year and in 2011.
While this is the most likely scenario, considerable uncertainty continues to cloud the outlook. Depending on consumer and business confidence in the next few quarters and the timing of fiscal and monetary stimulus withdrawal, growth in 2011 could be as low as 2.5 percent and as high as 3.4 percent.
“Unfortunately, we cannot expect an overnight recovery from this deep and painful crisis, because it will take many years for economies and jobs to be rebuilt. The toll on the poor will be very real,” said Justin Lin, World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Development Economics. “The poorest countries, those that rely on grants or subsidized lending, may require an additional $35-50 billion in funding just to sustain pre-crisis social programs.”
In this still weak environment, oil prices are expected to remain broadly stable, averaging about $76 a barrel; and other commodity prices should rise by only 3 percent per year on average during 2010 and 2011.
While all forms of finance are likely to be affected, foreign direct investment (FDI) should be less constrained than debt flows. However, parent firms will face higher capital costs, reducing their ability to finance individual products. As a result, FDI inflows are projected to decline from recent peaks of 3.9 percent of developing country GDP in 2007 to around 2.8-3.0 percent over the medium term. The consequences of such a decline could be serious, as FDI represents as much as 20 percent of total investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia and Latin America.
“While developing countries cannot avoid tighter international financial conditions, they can and should reduce domestic borrowing costs and promote local capital markets by expanding regional financial centers and improving competition and regulation in local banking sectors,” said Hans Timmer. “Although likely to take time to bear fruit, such steps could expand access to capital and help put developing countries back on the higher growth track from which they were derailed by the crisis.”
The report finds that very relaxed international financial conditions from 2003 through 2007 contributed to the boom in developing country finance and growth. Much lower borrowing costs caused both international capital flows and domestic bank lending to expand, which contributed to a 30 percent increase in investment rates in developing countries. The resulting rapid expansion of the capital stock explained more than half of the 1.5 percentage point increase in the rate of growth of potential output among developing countries.
While very strong developing country growth during the boom period may reflect underlying growth potential, the global financial conditions that fueled it were clearly unsustainable.
* (or -1, 3.5 and 4 percent when aggregated using Purchasing Power Parity weights)
