The World Bank's latest South Asia Development Update released, the projects significant economic benefits for India if more women were to join the workforce. According to the report, India's manufacturing output could see a 9 percent increase with greater female labour force participation.

The global financial institution maintained its growth projections for India, forecasting a 7 percent GDP growth in fiscal year 2025 and 6.7 percent in fiscal year 2026.

The broader South Asian region is expected to see 6.4 percent growth in 2024, driven by India's robust domestic demand and economic recoveries in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

World Bank Estimates 9% Growth in Indian Manufacturing Upon Inclusion of Women. The report attributes India's projected growth to several factors, including higher-than-anticipated agricultural output and policies aimed at boosting employment.

While private consumption is expected to remain strong, public consumption growth is likely to moderate in line with planned fiscal consolidation efforts. A key focus of the World Bank's analysis was the impact of marriage on female employment in South Asia.

The report found that, on average, the share of employed women after marriage was 12 percentage points lower than before marriage in India, Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Martin Raiser, World Bank Vice-President for South Asia, emphasised the potential for accelerated growth through policy reforms that integrate more women into the workforce and remove barriers to global investment and trade.