India is one of the largest single-country borrowers from the World Bank Group. But the raw headline — “India borrows billions from the World Bank” — answers only the what , not the where or the why . This post unpacks the full story: what India borrows for, which ministries and sectors receive the money, how the funds are disbursed (and why some projects move faster than others), and the political-economic trade-offs behind those flows. The goal is practical: to give readers a clear map of where World Bank money actually lands and what it accomplishes — and what it doesn’t. 1) Quick snapshot — scale and shape of World Bank financing to India India’s engagement with the World Bank is massive and multi-faceted. By late 2025, cumulative World Bank commitments to India have reached well into the tens of billions of dollars (the World Bank’s country finances portal reports total commitments in the triple-digit billions range for India’s portfolio). These commitments cover hundreds of ...