ET Now GBS 2026: ET Now GBS 2026: Decade of disruption, century of change — thriving amid uncertainty
India, the world’s fastest growing major economy, exemplifies these challenges.
Recently, the country has faced an unstable trade environment. For example, while Apple has expanded its supply chains there, it has also seen capital outflow from the economy, partly due to tariff uncertainty. Although India is less dependent on exports than many of its peers, navigating this changing trade landscape will require creativity, diplomacy, cooperation and new strategies.
More importantly, India is moving forward with its long-term goals as envisaged in Viksit Bharat 2047; A development target that we estimate will keep growth within the 7% range in the coming years. India’s fiscal and policy stability was a key factor in upgrading our sovereign rating to ‘BBB’ in 2025.
We explored India’s strengths in our latest publication from S&P Global’s India Research Division, ‘Forward in India: Changing Horizons’. In partnership with Crisil, we examine how the country is adapting to the changing global order and find that India’s story is one of ambition, innovation and resilience.
Constants give us direction and foundation in unpredictable times.
Much of our work at S&P Global Ratings involves constants and change. In terms of risk management, we are specifically thinking about the “decade of disruption and the century of change.” We frequently conduct and publish stress tests and downside scenarios, calculating the potential real-world consequences of the least desirable events. This provides lenders, investors, and other market participants with a critical layer of information regarding planning, defense, preparation, and allocation. We monitor unforeseen developments resulting from geopolitics, technological change and intense climate or weather-related events. We look at the impact on banks, companies, governments and markets in general.
Of course, it is easier to adapt if we are ahead. That’s why we also publish comprehensive analysis to identify megatrends in key areas.
A recent example is our ‘Top 10 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2026’ report, which surveyed leaders and analysts across our business footprints related to sustainability, climate and energy expansion.
Our unwavering commitment to providing actionable, forward-looking information is how we stay relevant in a rapidly changing and unstable world. This is how we develop essential intelligence, which is S&P Global’s core mission. And that’s how we’re building a business that not only endures, but also plays a role in helping global market participants navigate risks and opportunities for years to come.
(Yann Le Pallec, chairman of S&P Global Ratings and chairman of Crisil, will speak at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2026 at the Taj Palace in New Delhi)
