India's 'glittering' economy lights Modi's reelection path

NEW DELHI -- India's brisk economy has created a tailwind for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reelection campaign, although some analysts caution that the reality might not be quite as rosy as the headline numbers suggest.

The South Asian country's gross domestic product for the October to December quarter surprised most economists, growing by 8.4%. Most forecasters had predicted the economy would struggle to clear 7% for the quarter. Although India only reports figures for fiscal years, the reading resulted in a robust growth rate of about 7.7% for the calendar year.