# WEF survey sees India incomes rising, domestic economists disagree 2026-09-22T17:16:59+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets India and Southeast Asia are the only regions where most chief economists expect household incomes to rise over the next 12 months, the World Economic Forum's September 2026 Chief Economists' Outlook found. Sixty-two per cent of surveyed economists expect inflation-adjusted incomes in India to increase, and 74 per cent forecast strong or very strong economic growth, up from 52 per cent in May. Indian economists interviewed by Business Standard caution that the optimism may be short-lived. Bank of Baroda chief economist Madan Sabnavis warned that retail inflation could climb toward 6 per cent within months, eating into real incomes. IDFC First Bank's Gaura Sengupta said the outlook hinges on crude oil prices and warned that an adverse monsoon could raise food prices from the fourth quarter onwards. The WEF survey also found that India slipped to fourth place from second in the ranking of favourable business environments for multinational companies. Separately, the IMF called India a key global growth engine after its 7.8 per cent April-June GDP expansion beat the RBI's 7 per cent estimate. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Indian economists cited by Business Standard directly caution that retail inflation may climb toward 6%, eroding the very income gains the WEF survey projects. Economic Times leads with the growth topside and a separate fall in multinational rankings, framing the two trends as a divergence rather than a risk. Times of India anchors on IMF praise, sidelining the domestic economists' warnings entirely. The balanced reading: the WEF optimism is a forward-looking poll, but it ignores the pass-through of energy and food costs that Indian economists flag as imminent. The RBI's next policy decision, due in October, will show whether inflation forecasts are shifting. ## Coverage - business-standard.com (government critical) Leads with WEF optimism but foregrounds Indian economists' scepticism and inflation warnings - m.economictimes.com (pro government) Leads with strongest growth outlook and household income gains, buries business ranking slip - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (pro government) Leads with IMF praise and GDP methodology backing, omits domestic economist pushback Tags: Bank of Baroda, Gaura Sengupta, IDFC FIRST Bank, Madan Sabnavis, RBI, World Economic Forum Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-tops-wef-growth-outlook-but-business-appeal-slips/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-tops-wef-growth-outlook-but-business-appeal-slips/#story-in-brief