New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- Every quarter's gross domestic product (GDP) data release cycle sees a familiar question resurface: Can we trust India's GDP numbers? The question has been raised often enough to become a ritual. This time, attention was also drawn to the grading embedded in the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV assessment of India, with the economy's 8.2% growth in the second quarter of 2025-26 placed in contrast with the 'C' rating assigned to our national accounts statistics.

This rating has been picked up by many to cast doubts on the validity of India's growth numbers and hint at inflated figures. Opinions on India's economic reality cite the IMF's C grade as evidence of a disparity between what the data sugges...