S&P Reaffirms India’s Sovereign Rating At BBB-, Retains Outlook At ‘Stable’
S&P expects Indian economy to continue to outperform peers and growth to remain strong over the next two years.
Global rating agency Standard & Poor's has reaffirmed sovereign rating of India with stable outlook, Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty said on Tuesday.
The rating action comes weeks after another global agency Moody's Investors Service lowered the country's rating outlook to "negative" from "stable".
"S&P has reaffirmed sovereign rating of India at BBB- with stable outlook. They have stated that India's economy continues to achieve impressive long-term growth rates despite a recent deceleration," Chakraborty said in a tweet.
A 'BBB' rating signifies adequate capacity on an entity to meet its financial commitments. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken its capacity to meet financial commitments.
The rating action comes at a time when the government is facing flak from opposition parties for not doing enough to check the slide in economic growth, which hit six-year lower low of 4.5 percent in the second quarter of the current fiscal.
S&P also expects the Indian economy to continue to outperform peers and growth to remain strong over the next two years.
In November, Moody's Investors Service had cut India's credit rating outlook to negative - the first step towards a downgrade, saying the government has been partly ineffective in addressing economic weakness, leading to rising risks that growth will remain lower.
Another international agency, Fitch Ratings continues to hold the country's outlook at stable.
The government has been taking slew of measures, including sharp reduction corporate tax to boost the economy. Besides, the Reserve Bank of India has been extedning support to government's effort by repeatedly cutting key policy rate.