UN ESCAP Pegs India’s Growth At 6.4% In 2026, 6.6% In 2027 Amid Global Headwinds

India’s economy is projected to grow 6.4% in 2026 and 6.6% in 2027, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), with the latest outlook underscoring India’s continued role as a key growth engine in South and South-West Asia. News On Air reported the forecast on 21 April 2026, citing ESCAP’s Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026.

The report said economies in South and South-West Asia grew 5.4% in 2025, up from 5.2% in 2024, and noted that the improvement was driven largely by India’s strong performance. It added that India’s growth had accelerated to 7.4% in 2025, supported by robust consumption, especially in the rural economy, along with GST rate cuts and export front-loading ahead of U.S. tariff actions.

ESCAP also projected India’s inflation at 4.4% in 2026 and 4.3% in 2027, suggesting that price pressures are expected to remain relatively contained even as the wider region faces uncertainty linked to energy costs, trade frictions, and geopolitical tensions.

Beyond the headline growth numbers, the report highlighted India’s potential in the green economy. It referred to global estimates showing 16.6 million green jobs worldwide, with annual job creation of about 0.8 million between 2012 and 2024, and pointed to India’s production-linked incentive scheme as an example of how macroeconomic policy can support domestic manufacturing in areas such as solar PV, batteries, and green hydrogen while reducing import dependence.

Taken together, the forecast positions India as one of the stronger-performing major economies in the Asia-Pacific region, even as ESCAP warns that external shocks and regional instability could weigh on growth across the broader landscape.