India growing despite hurdles, probably faster than China: Adrian Mowat, JP Morgan

NEW DELHI: According to Adrian Mowat of JP Morgan, the Indian economy is probably growing faster than China at this point of time. In an interview with ET Now, Mowat said that India is showing better earnings trend versus the Chinese economy. This trend from an equity markets perspective is good for those investing in India.

"India is growing despite its government," Mowat said. Crediting the private sector for growing despite many structural problems, Mowat said that this growth has made the industrial base of India stronger.

He is also of the opinion that a fall in commodity prices will be positive for India Inc. The fall will not only reduce raw material costs but it will also help reduce the current account deficit (CAD), he opined. "A wide current account deficit will increase the risk of investing in India," he added.

Asked about the relative underperformance of the Chinese market compared to India, Mowat said that nearly 75% of China's market is state-owned. "As a minority stakeholder in the market, my interest may not be the same as that of the state," Mowat said.

However, a Reuters poll of 38 economists produced a median forecast of 5.3 per cent year-on-year GDP growth for the April-June quarter, unchanged from January-March, which was the slowest growth rate since the same quarter in 2003.

Forecasts ranged from 4.8 per cent to 6 per cent in the poll, ahead of the data due for release at 0530 GMT on Friday.

While strong by global standards, such rates are considered almost recessionary in India, which targets 9 per cent to provide jobs for a bulging young population.