India's economic growth outlook has strengthened considerably over recent months, with domestic and international institutions raising their forecasts for the current financial year, despite elevated global energy prices and geopolitical uncertainty.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was the latest to raise its estimate on October 13, projecting India's economy to expand by 7 percent in FY27, up from its earlier forecast of 6.4 per cent. The revision follows stronger-than-expected domestic demand and services activity, which have helped offset the impact of global disruptions, the Washington-based lender said.

Seven of the eight forecasters, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and major rating agencies, now expect growth of at least 7 percent in FY27. Fitch Ratings, at 6.9 percent, is the only exception.

An analysis of the eight institutions' forecasts shows their average growth projection has risen to 7 percent from about 6.5 percent earlier. Revisions range from 40 basis points to 100 basis points, indicating a broad reassessment of India's ability to withstand external shocks.

The upgrades follow India's stronger-than-expected performance in the April-June quarter, when GDP expanded 7.8 percent, supported by manufacturing, investment and services.

Stronger investment and domestic demand drive upgrades

The upward revisions reflect a common theme across institutions. India's domestic growth drivers have proved more resilient than initially anticipated.

The World Bank raised its FY27 growth forecast by 50 basis points to 7.1 percent from 6.6 percent, citing resilient domestic consumption, robust industrial activity and stronger exports. It also highlighted artificial intelligence's potential to improve productivity and sustain longer-term growth.

The ADB raised its estimate to 7 percent from 6.6 percent, supported by stronger investment demand and resilient services exports. Gross fixed capital formation expanded 11.9 percent in the June quarter, while services grew 10 percent and manufacturing 9.2 percent, reinforcing expectations of sustained domestic momentum, it noted.