New Delhi, Jan. 30 -- The World Bank Group said on Thursday it has formed a new partnership with the government of India to support job creation across both urban and rural areas with $8-10 billion in annual financing over the next five years. The World Bank's previous such plan for India, originally for FY18-22 and extended to December 2025 because of the pandemic, had an outlay of $6-7 billion a year.

The new plan took effect from the start of 2026 and will continue for about five years, a World Bank spokesperson said. The focus will be on sectors that generate local jobs at scale, such as infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing, the World Bank said.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharam...