Special Report No. 7
By Piyush Verma, Medha Prasanna, Caroline Arkalji, Erlijn Van Genuchten, and Siddharth Sharma
By Udaibir Das
Global financial institutions continue to frame the 2026 outlook for emerging markets through a familiar cyclical lens. The consensus assumes U.S. monetary easing, a softer dollar and a modest global slowdown will favor local-currency assets, credible disinflation paths and balance-sheet repair. This narrative is historically grounded and internally coherent. It is also increasingly insufficient.
By Medha Prasanna
Without intentional strategies to strengthen energy infrastructure, the Global South will remain largely a consumer of AI technologies.
By Brian Webster, Alan Gelb, and Anit Mukherjee
Shifting the payment of social transfers from cash to direct deposit via bank or mobile money accounts can directly improve efficiency for governments and convenience for beneficiaries. It may also produce positive spillovers such as boosting financial inclusion and empowering women. But do these spillovers materialize, and under what circumstances?
By Shayak Sengupta, Peter Adams, Thomas Deetjen, Puneet Kamboj, Swati D'Souza, Rahul Tongia, and Inês Azevedo
Electricity consumption and emissions of states in India are similar to differences between those of entire countries.
By Shayak Sengupta, Thomas Spencer, Neshwin Rodrigues, Raghav Pachouri, Shubham Thakare, Peter Adams, Rahul Tongia, Inês Azevedo
As electricity demand and living standards in India increase, the country will plug in new technology like electric vehicles and air conditioners.
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