India’s Growth Vs S&P Ratings: Credibility, Bias & The Emerging Markets Debate

Global credit rating agencies have long enjoyed a reputation for being the arbiters of economic credibility, but are their assessments truly impartial? In this discussion, we examine whether these agencies carry inherent biases favouring developed economies over emerging markets like India. We explore the disconnect between high ratings for debt-laden countries and the comparatively modest ratings for rapidly growing economies, while also discussing India’s long-term growth needs. With only two decades to fully leverage its demographic dividend, can India accelerate to double-digit growth, or will it risk being stuck in the middle-income trap?