Indian Economy To See Record Contraction In 2020-21 Before Sharp Recovery: S&P

The Indian economic system will expertise a file contraction within the fiscal yr to March 2021 on account of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic however actual GDP will recuperate considerably in FY22, score company Standard and Poor’s stated on Friday.

S&P affirmed its score on India’s long-term overseas and native foreign money sovereign credit score on the lowest investment-grade stage and retained its secure outlook on the economic system.

India’s long-term score was affirmed at ‘BBB-‘ with a secure outlook whereas the short-term score was held at ‘A-3’.

“The stable outlook reflects our expectation that India’s economy will recover following the resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the country’s strong external settings will act as a buffer against financial strains despite elevated government funding needs over the next 24 months,” S&P stated.

India has the second highest virus circumstances globally regardless of seeing one of many strictest of lockdowns and circumstances are nonetheless rising because the economic system progressively opens up.

“We expect economic activity in India to begin to normalize in fiscal 2022, resulting in real GDP growth of about 10 per cent.”

The authorities’s direct fiscal assist has been restricted to 1.2 per cent of GDP to date in comparison with roughly Three per cent of GDP on common in different rising market economies.

S&P famous that the federal government’s reluctance to offer higher direct fiscal assist to the economic system doubtless displays pre-existing fiscal constraints owing to years of excessive fiscal deficits.

“Although additional stimulus may help to avert a steeper downturn this year, it would also further strain the government’s weak finances,” it stated.

“This increasingly tenuous balance may challenge India’s capacity to maintain sustainable public finances and balanced economic growth, if the recovery is slower than we anticipate.”

The nation’s fiscal deficit is prone to rise to about 12.5 per cent of GDP this yr, largely pushed by a lot weaker income era and the federal government’s internet indebtedness is about to exceed 90 per cent of GDP this yr in comparison with simply over 70 per cent in fiscal 2020, S&P stated.