India to clock over 8% growth: S&P

[N.Sukumar]

New Delhi, April 30: Notwithstanding the recent turmoil in the global
Markets, two of Asia's largest economies India and China will grow at
8 per cent or above in the next two years, says global rating agency
S&P in its latest study.

According to the report titled 'Asian Resilience Amid Global
Turbulence' strong regional drivers are expected to insulate the Asian
economies from the adverse impact of a moderate recession in the US.

"Two of the three largest economies - China and India - are also the
fastest growing and, together, they will continue to grow at about 8
per cent (or above) over the next two years. This provides the region
with enormous momentum," S&P's Asia-Pacific chief economist Subir
Gokarn said in a statement.

Even though the growth rates of Asia-Pacific would slow somewhat, the
region would still grow at a relatively fast pace in 2008 and 2009 -
buoyed by China and India, he added.

As per S&P, an important factor in the Asia-Pacific region's
resilience is ability to exploit growth opportunities through greater
regional economic integration. "Increasing integration is reflected in
the overall thrust of trade policy in the region, which has seen a
significant increase in intra-regional trade and broader agreements,"
the credit rating agency said.

However, Gokarn cautioned that the region still faces key risks
including a prolonged US economic slump and hikes in food and fuel
prices.

"There are some visible threats to the region in the form of food and
energy prices, which may adversely affect performance over the next
couple of years," he said, adding that managing these risks would be
an important challenge facing policymakers across the region.

N.Sukumar
Research Analyst