Triggers for rating upgrade won't be met over 12-18 months: Moody's exec

Moody's senior vice president Christian de Guzman speaks about the rating agency's upgraded ratings outlook for India and more.

A day after Moody's Investors Service changed outlook on India to stable from negative, its senior vice president and senior sovereign risk analyst Christian de Guzman tells Indivjal Dhasmana that decline in the government debt burden along with a concurrent improvement in debt affordability on a sustainable basis could lead to an upgrade in sovereign ratings. Edited excerpts:

The finance ministry of India pitched for rating upgrade but you have changed only outlook. Why?

We have changed the outlook on India’s Baa3 rating to reflect our view that the downside risks presented by financial sector instability with regards to growth