Factory activity shrinks most in nine years

Manufacturing sector in India contracted in July following the GST launch as new orders and output dropped for the first time since the downturn in December last year post demonetisation, a survey said Tuesday. This contraction is going to sharpen calls for a lowering of interest rate by the RBI at its policy meet, starting Tuesday. The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 47.9 in July, down from 50.9 in June, its lowest mark since February 2009, and highlighted the first deterioration in business conditions in 2017.

A figure above 50 denotes expansion while any reading below this level means contraction. "Manufacturing growth in India came to a halt in July with the PMI down to its lowest mark in almost eight-and-ahalf years amid widespread reports that the sector has been adversely affected by the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)," said Pollyanna De Lima, Principal Economist at IHS Markit and author of the report. The GST launch, the survey noted, affected demand.

The reductions in output, new orders and purchasing activity were all the steepest since early 2009. "The weakening trend for demand, relatively muted cost inflationary pressures and discounted factory gate charges provide powerful tools for monetary policy easing, which has the potential to revive economic growth," Lima said.