20 minutes with Anshula Kant, World Bank Group
Dive into an enlightening conversation with Anshula Kant, Managing Director and CFO of the World Bank Group at the Uxolo Global 2025 conference in Copenhagen as she unpacks the complexities facing global development today.
In this exclusive podcast episode, Anshula shares a front-row perspective on the unprecedented challenges emerging economies confront—especially the looming youth employment crisis, with over a billion young people entering the workforce in the next decade but not nearly enough jobs to match.
Listeners will gain invaluable insight into how the World Bank leverages its unique position on the world stage—not just as a financier, but as a catalyst for innovation and large-scale impact. Anshula outlines how the World Bank stretches shareholder contributions into transformational projects, deploying trillions through the power of global capital markets and its AAA credit rating. She reveals how this model helped drive rapid responses to global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating both financial ingenuity and steadfast commitment to development.
A highlight of the episode is the deep dive into one of the most pressing topics in finance today: mobilizing private capital for public good. Anshula explains how the World Bank Group is breaking down barriers that keep private investors out of emerging markets. She discusses the establishment of the Private Sector Investment Lab—a partnership with top global CEOs—to identify and eliminate market obstacles. Anshula details the three pillars essential for unlocking private investment: building foundational infrastructure, providing regulatory certainty, and designing innovative financial solutions such as guarantees and hybrid equity products.
Listeners are treated to compelling real-world examples, including the restructuring of Côte d’Ivoire’s debt into more sustainable financing earmarked for education, made possible through the Bank’s creative use of guarantees. Anshula also highlights pioneering efforts to tackle foreign exchange risk and support local currency lending—crucial for de-risking investments in frontier markets.
The conversation closes with Anshula inviting everyone to join this mission, stressing that sustainable global progress requires both public and private sector collaboration, and also the World Bank Group’s recognition being awarded an Uxolo Pathfinder Award for its outcome bond supporting Amazon rainforest reforestation, underscoring the Bank’s commitment to cutting-edge solutions in climate and finance.
