Indian manufacturing activity signals strong growth at 56.8 in September

01 Oct 2020 Evaluate

Reaching its highest mark since January 2012, Indian manufacturing activity signalled strong growth in the month of September 2020, supported by accelerated increases in new orders and production. As per the survey report, the Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) - a composite single-figure indicator of manufacturing performance - jumped to 56.8 in September as against 52.0 in August. Moreover, the latest reading was the highest in over eight-and-a-half years.

The report further noted that Indian manufacturers lifted output for the second straight month in September, amid reports of loosened coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) restrictions and higher demand. The increase was sharp and the third-quickest in the history of the survey. Similarly, there were back-to-back increases in new business inflows. The rate of expansion picked up to the fastest since early-2012.

On the price front, there was a softer and historically weak rise in input costs. Firms reported higher prices paid for a few materials such as aluminium and steel. Output charges, meanwhile, broadly stabilised following five successive months of reduction. Further, the report said that almost one-third of manufacturers expect output growth in the coming 12 months, against 8% that foresee a contraction, resulting in the strongest degree of overall optimism in over four years.

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