Economist Kyunghoon Kim of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy said India’s economy will grow over 7% in 2026‑27, citing the IMF’s recent upgrade from 6.4% to 7% and the RBI’s own estimate of 7.1% for the same period.
India’s GDP jumped 9.7% in 2021 after a 5.8% contraction in 2020, then posted over 7% growth each year through 2025, yielding a five‑year average of 7.83%—the second‑highest since 1960, only behind the 2003‑07 BRIC run.
Kim projects that by 2030 India will become the world’s third‑largest economy, meaning each 7% rise adds roughly $280 billion on a $4 trillion GDP.
The RBI’s June estimate and the IMF’s revision echo a consensus that domestic demand remains resilient and services activity robust; the Asian Development Bank and World Bank have also nudged their forecasts upward.
In Delhi, a 35‑year‑old shopkeeper who closed his stall during lockdown says the steady growth has enabled him to reopen with a new staff, a microcosm of the broader rebound.
The IMF will announce its final 2026‑27 forecast at a virtual meeting on 30 October. India’s trajectory will also be a key agenda item at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.