World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva has described India as a “laboratory”, for the world to learn about what works in development and to find new ways to collaborate.
Ms. Georgieva, who is in India on her first official visit, said in a statement: “India is our biggest middle income client. Its economic growth influences global growth. Its achievements in health and education contribute to the world achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“I am keen to learn more as India is a laboratory for the world to learn about what works in development and to find new ways to collaborate,” she added.
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While on a visit to Pakistan in January, Ms. Georgieva said she had “constructive discussions” with that country’s leadership on the Indus Waters Treaty.
India, Pakistan and the World Bank are signatories to the Treaty and are in discussions on resolving disagreements the two countries have over India’s construction of two hydroelectric power plants.
Maintaining its neutrality as a signatory, the Bank had announced a pause in the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan under the Treaty to allow the two nations to resolve their disagreements amicably.
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During her India visit, Ms. Georgieva will hold discussions with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel. The Bank said Ms. Georgieva’s visit comes at a time when India’s economic growth is one of the bright spots in the global economy.
Ms. Georgieva will visit Mumbai, where she will see how the operations of the World Bank-supported suburban rail system – which carries about eight million commuters daily – is serving a fast-growing and urbanising India. “She will also visit a school serving low-income households, and children with special needs (part of the Indian Government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme, supported by the Bank) to see how Mumbai’s administrators are striving to ensure that basic services are delivered to all residents of the city, one-third of whom live in slums,” the Bank said. As of January 2017, the Bank’s total net commitments in India were $27 billion across 95 projects.