Country Strategy for India

World Bank Country Strategy for India Released
>>>read the strategy

September 22, 2004

The document (a) describes the Bank Group's strategy based on an assessment of priorities in the country, and (b) indicates the level and composition of assistance to be provided based on the strategy and the country's portfolio performance. 

Fully translated versions in Hindi are available.

Working for Results: Country Strategy for India Read the strategy Read an Op-Ed by Country Director Michael Carter Press Release Learn more: Public Information Notice Watch: Country Strategy Consultation Workshop(PowerPoint) Listen: India Country Director Michael Carter Hindi (pdf) Kannada (pdf) Telugu (pdf) Country Strategy Archive Civil Society Organization (CSO) Position Statement (Aug. 14, 2004) Response to CSO Statement by Country Director (Aug. 25, 2004) Contact us

India is home to over one-quarter of the world’s poor, and the World Bank Group is focused on sharing best practices as well as financing for development as part of its mission to help reduce global poverty.

The strategy supports the Government's own development program and is tailored to local conditions, identifying funding targets for projects, studies, and other support. It sets out how the World Bank Group proposes to continue a growing partnership with the Government of India during fiscal years 2005-08. 

Disclosure
According to the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy, Country Strategies “for countries eligible for IDA financing (including countries eligible for both IDA and IBRD financing) are publicly available after they have been discussed by the Executive Directors and finalized, unless in exceptional circumstances, the country concerned objects to such disclosure and the Executive Directors agree that the [strategy] may not be disclosed.”  

The consultation process
In the course of formulating the India Country Strategy, consultations with various tiers of government, civil society, donors and the private sector were part of the formulation process. 

Client Survey: About 1,000 people from government, civil society, academia, media and the private sector were invited to participate in a two-part survey to share their views on key development issues in India, and on the Bank’s effectiveness and priorities.   

Targeted meetings: Sector ministries, Indian economists and policymakers outside of government provided informal review and advice in a series of meetings held over several months.

Online consultations:  The draft of the strategy was posted on external websites in English, Hindi, Kannada and Telugu for public review and comment for a period of four weeks. The draft was publicized through a press conference in New Delhi addressed by the Regional Vice President and Country Director, as well as through email and fax notification to Bank contacts, the Country Office quarterly newsletter, and other means of outreach. 

Consultation workshops:   The Bank hosted a series of half-day workshops in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Lucknow with invited representatives of the central, state and local governments, donors, the private sector, academia, media and NGOs. >>>Read more about the consultation process.

Overview of the World Bank’s Country Strategy for India
The overarching challenge of this new  strategy is to maximize and leverage the diverse resources of the Bank Group  to dramatically improve impact, help to improve the quality of life for some of the world’s poorest citizens, and help India move closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Strategic Principles
These principles will underpin the Bank’s Group work in India.

Focusing on Outcomes: to ensure that all of the work of the Bank Group is explicitly geared towards supporting India’s achievement of its development goals;

Exercising Selectivity: to target limited resources to activities where assistance is welcomed and where contributions can also be the most effective;

Generating and Providing Knowledge: to generate and provide knowledge that can be realistically applied.

This strategy also proposes some important shifts in the approach to India’s states. Since 1997, the Country Strategy has included a focus on states undertaking comprehensive reforms. With the widening gulf between reforming and non-reforming states, some shifts in this approach are warranted. Global knowledge support – policy dialogue, analysis, technical assistance and advisory services – will also be re-focused. 

The strategy envisions enhanced analytical work on emerging issues of national interest, as well as strengthening demand-driven responses by the Bank. The strategy also proposes a new way of looking at IBRD lending.  Rather than establishing low or base case scenarios for Bank lending, and structuring triggers to shift from one case to another, the Bank program will fall within a range limited by an upper bound for IBRD lending (US$2.15 billion per year on average). Getting to this upper bound will require strong reform performance as well as a strengthened pace of project preparation.