2023-04-20 05:20:08 ET
The trophy of the world's most populous nation is changing hands, according to fresh estimates from the U.N., which pegged the population of India at 1.4286B in mid-2023, compared to the 1.4257B of China (and excludes Hong Kong, Macau, Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan).
The growth story in India, where half the population is under the age of 30, is already on the radar of emerging market investors, with SA contributor Macrotips Trading pointing to the iShares MSCI India ETF ( BATS: INDA ) for boosting exposure to large- and mid-cap Indian equities. In the short term, India is benefiting from access to discounted Russian oil - which has allowed the economy to grow rapidly with relatively less inflation than others - and in the long term, India is forecast to become a manufacturing alternative to China .
Well timed? Tim Cook was in India this week to open Apple's first store and meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the company aims to build out a consumer base and expand its production footprint.
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Investors keep eye on India as it becomes the world's most populous country