New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) Private sector activity in India accelerated in April, supported by capacity expansion, better demand conditions, rising intakes of new work and tech investment, the HSBC ‘Flash India PMI Composite Output Index’ showed on Thursday.
The seasonally-adjusted index, that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of India’s manufacturing and service sectors – was up from a final reading of 57.0 in March to 58.3 in April.
New orders rose at a quicker pace than in March and one that was historically strong.
Employment across India’s private sector increased further, with the rate of job creation reaching a 10-month high in April, according to the survey data.
“Private sector activity accelerated after easing in March amid disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Manufacturing led the upturn, with faster growth in output and new orders,” said Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India Economist at HSBC.
The survey indicated that firms are building buffer stocks to manage the uncertainties around the longevity of the supply-side shock.
“Finished goods and input inventories increased alongside a pick-up in purchasing volumes. Input cost pressures remained elevated, and firms passed through part of the increase via higher selling prices,” said Bhandari.
Inflation rates remained historically elevated but retreated from those registered last month due to a cooldown in the service sector.
“Manufacturing led the resurgence with notable rebounds in rates of increase for output and sales, but price pressures intensified here,” said the PMI report compiled by S&P Global.
According to the report, goods producers recorded faster rates of increase in new orders and output than service providers, with its respective seasonally adjusted indices rising by more than three index points.
Services companies still noted accelerations, though they were marginal in comparison. Trends for exports were mixed at the sector level as a slowdown in growth at service providers contrasted with a quicker increase among goods producers.
“The latter posted the fastest expansion in nine months, while services firms recorded the weakest uptick in just over a year reportedly due to the Middle East war. At the composite level, new export business rose at a softer rate than in March,” according to the latest PMI data.
—IANS
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