New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- Former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Gita Gopinath has flagged pollution as a far more serious economic threat to India than trade-related challenges, calling for the issue to be tackled on a war footing and elevated to a national priority.

Speaking during a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Gopinath said pollution often remains marginal in conversations around growth and business expansion, despite its profound economic and social consequences.

"Pollution is a challenge in India. If you look at the impact of pollution on the Indian economy, it is far more consequential than any impact of any tariffs that have been put on India so far. If you look at the annual cost to India's ...