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Chapter 8 — Opinion
Opinion

View & Counter View: The Resilience Premium vs. Global Affordability

Is the 5-10% resilience premium essential survival insurance, or does fragmentation risk a $5.5 trillion GDP penalty?

SS
Mr. Sridhar Seshadri
Chief Executive Officer, World Development Council
February 2026 · 8 min

The global economy faces a fundamental test of leadership in an era of cascading disruptions.

The resilience premium is the price of freedom in a volatile century. — Mr. Sridhar Seshadri

View: Managerial Resilience

Firms holding 20-30% buffer inventories are the only ones navigating disruption. JIT has become the affordability trap of the 21st century.

Counter View: Globalist Warning

Dr. Shreeram Iyer warns: Competing trade blocs could slash GDP by 4.5% — a $5.5 trillion drag. "Complexity Inflation" threatens consumers.

ResilienceGlobalizationDebate

Discussion

2 comments
Comments are moderated
DS
Dr. Shreeram Iyer Mar 18, 2026
Full reshoring is retreat. We must preserve Connector Economies and resist duplicated nodes.
▲ 26 Reply
SB
Srikant Badiga Mar 18, 2026
Both views are valid. India must position itself as the ultimate connector economy.
▲ 20 Reply