India Inc’s business confidence dips, worst not over yet: FICCI

10 Jun 2013 Evaluate

Strengthening appeals for a cut in lending rate by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its forthcoming monetary policy review, FICCI survey, indicating persisting signs of deceleration in business environment, revealed that India Inc's business confidence fell for the second straight quarter in January-March period of 2013 to 57.4 as against 61.2 in the previous quarter.

FICCI survey said that in lieu of high current account deficit (CAD) coupled with prevailing weak demand in the market and inadequate infrastructure investments, India Inc felt that the worst is not over yet. Further, the rising import seems to be emerging as a concern as 28 percent of the participants said it was a bothering factor, up from 15 percent in the third quarter of FY13. Meanwhile, the recent easing of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) numbers will give some more space to the central bank to consider further rate cut in the policy rates, it added.

Besides, 74 percent of the industry respondents said if banks do not cut lending rates immediately, it would have a serious to moderate impact on their future investment plans. There was also marginal increase in the proportion of respondents citing cost of credit to be a concern for the companies, which were not upbeat about the sales prospects and profit margin performance over the next six months.

However, the industry believes that the measures taken by Cabinet Committee on Investments (CCI) to expedite the process of granting project clearances will unlock huge investments in core sectors of the economy, improving investment activity, it added. Moreover, the slight improvement in index of industrial production (IIP) and export numbers signal springing of green shoots and it will be crucial to keep nurturing them.

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