India urges ADB to scale up lending, push reforms to support developing economies

India Monday asked the Asian Development Bank scale up its lending capacity and adopt a more transformational approach to better support developing economies amid rising global uncertainties.

“ADB will need to develop strategies that address the evolving needs of larger developing member countries (DMCs) such as India, which may approach their exposure limits in the coming years,” minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary said addressing the annual board of governors meeting of ADB here.

He said important that capital expansion measures, such as hybrid and callable capital, continue so that exposure limits do not constrain the development financing or borrowing programs of developing economies.


“From India’s perspective, delivering on the “billions to trillions” agenda requires meaningful reforms in multilateral development banks (MDBs),” he said, adding that this includes enhanced risk appetite, better use of balance sheets, and stronger engagement with the private sector.

He pointed out that the current geopolitical landscape is marked by interconnected challenges, including energy insecurity, food shortages, rising debt levels, and supply chain disruptions, and these pressures require coordinated and large-scale responses rather than incremental measures.

He pointed at the country economic resilience despite global turbulence, driven by strong macroeconomic fundamentals and ongoing reforms. However, it stressed that significant development needs remain, particularly in infrastructure, climate transition, and human capital, requiring access to long-term, affordable financing.

New Delhi also called for broader reforms in multilateral development banks to unlock greater resources. These include increasing risk appetite, improving the use of balance sheets, and strengthening private sector participation to help mobilize larger volumes of capital.

In addition, India underscored ADB’s role as a knowledge and innovation partner, especially in supporting digital public infrastructure to drive inclusive growth and enhance service delivery across developing economies.