India, April 17 -- Even as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced India's growth figures over the next two quarters (April-September 2026), China seems to be on a comeback trail. After a weak growth of 4.5 per cent in the previous (October-December 2025) quarter, its economy grew by five per cent in January-March 2026, or 0.2 per cent higher than the experts' estimate. The five per cent mark seems crucial because last month, Beijing deliberately cut its annual growth target to 4.5-5 per cent, "its lowest expansion goal since 1991." Touching five per cent, or the highest figure within the range, a quarter later is a positive sign.

More importantly, despite the Iran war, and West Asian disruptions in oil supplies and trade, the higher gro...