Fitch Ratings ups India’s growth forecast to 7.8%

New Delhi, September 21

Fitch Ratings Friday upped India’s growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7.8 per cent, from 7.4 per cent earlier, but flagged rising oil bill and higher interest rates as key concerns.

Fitch, in its Global Economic Outlook, said it expects inflation to rise to the upper end of the central bank’s target band (4 per cent, plus-minus 2 per cent) on relatively high demand-pull pressures and rupee depreciation.

“We have revised up our forecast for FY2018-2019 growth to 7.8 per cent from 7.4 per cent on the back of the better-than-expected 2Q18 outturn. India’s growth likely peaked in 2Q18 (April-June) though,” Fitch said.

Growth forecast for 2019-20 and 2020-21 fiscals, however, have been cut by 0.2 percentage points to 7.3 per cent. Fitch said the Indian rupee (INR) has been the worst-performing major Asian currency so far this year. The economic outlook is subject to several headwinds, including tightening of financial conditions, a rising oil bill and weak bank balance sheets, it said. — PTI