The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has affirmed India's crucial role as a 'key growth engine for the world,' with its Communications Department Director Julie Kozack stating that the country's third-quarter economic growth exceeded expectations, making an upward revision to its forecast likely. During a recent press conference, Kozack highlighted India's robust performance, primarily anchored in strong domestic consumption. The IMF's most recent assessment had initially projected India's growth for the 2025-26 fiscal year at 6.6 percent, and the stronger-than-expected Q3 data suggests this figure will be upgraded in the upcoming World Economic Outlook update. This positive declaration from the global financial institution has led to a strong political reaction in India. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly leveraged the IMF's remarks to criticize Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had previously labelled the Indian economy as 'dead.' Gandhi had notably endorsed former US President Donald Trump's similar comments regarding India's economy around July-August 2025, blaming the Modi government for economic mismanagement. BJP spokespersons declared the IMF's praise as a "hardest slap of reality" for Gandhi, asserting that his "doomsday" politics were failing in the face of India's robust economic growth. This news story, therefore, intertwines significant economic validation for India with sharp domestic political discourse.