Indian manufacturing activity growth declined sharply in the month of April 2020, amid national lockdown restrictions to help stem the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which in turn led to widespread business closures. As per the survey report, the Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) - a composite single-figure indicator of manufacturing performance -fell to 27.4 in April from 51.8 in March.
As per the survey report, the latest reading pointed to the sharpest deterioration in business conditions across the sector since data collection began over 15 years ago. Demand conditions were severely hampered in April, amid widespread business closures. Besides, new orders fell for the first time in two-and-a-half years and at the sharpest rate in the survey's history, far outpacing that seen during the global financial crisis.
The report also noted that deteriorating demand conditions saw manufacturers drastically cut back staff numbers in April. The reduction in employment was the quickest in the survey's history. There was a similar trend in purchasing activity, with firms cutting input buying at a record pace. Besides, there was evidence of severe supply-side disruption across the manufacturing sector amid the lockdown, with input delivery times lengthening markedly.
On the price front, lower cost burdens gave manufacturers room to decrease their output prices at the start of the second quarter. The marked decline was the quickest since data collection began. Meanwhile, sentiment regarding the 12-month outlook for production ticked up from March's recent low on hopes that demand will rebound once the COVID-19 threat has diminished and lockdown restrictions eased.
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