Shweta Punj

Economist Surjit S Bhalla during an interview with Moneycontrol While India, like the rest of the world, might have weathered the West Asia storm, the big push for India’s growth could come from a trade treaty with the US. Surjit Bhalla, economist and former Executive Director at the IMF, said in an interview with Moneycontrol’s Shweta Punj that a trade treaty with the US could shore up the rupee, bring foreign investors back to India and get the private sector to invest in the country.

The India story remains strong, and a poor monsoon is a greater pain point for the country than the West Asia conflict. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Chief Economic Adviser at State Bank of India, tells Moneycontrol's Shweta Punj that lower oil prices are giving India's macro fundamentals an edge. He is optimistic that India could grow at over 6.8 percent in the first quarter of FY27 and that the rupee could continue to strengthen, but warns that El Niño could emerge as a major worry for the Indian economy.

EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal dismissed crisis fears, defending India's economy as resilient amid global shocks. In an interview with Shweta Punj, the economist backed letting the rupee adjust naturally while conserving forex reserves, projects 6.5% growth for FY27, and urges macroeconomic stability over short-term fixes, citing strong investment and reforms.