India Private Sector Growth at 3-Month High

2026-09-23 05:04 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

India’s HSBC Composite PMI rose to 56.5 in September 2026 from a final 54.6 in August, flash data showed, marking the fastest expansion in private-sector activity since June and remaining above its long-run average.

Output growth accelerated modestly in both manufacturing and services, with demand strengthening across the two sectors.

New export orders continued to increase, although growth slowed to its weakest pace in nearly three years, reflecting softer gains among service providers despite a marginal acceleration in manufacturing.

Employment rose solidly, with both sectors adding staff at broadly similar rates as output and new orders continued to expand.

Outstanding business increased marginally after declining in the previous two months.

On prices, input-cost inflation eased to its lowest level since January, while selling-price inflation was broadly unchanged.

Business confidence strengthened across manufacturing and services, lifting overall optimism to a four-month high.



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India Private Sector Growth at 3-Month High
India’s HSBC Composite PMI rose to 56.5 in September 2026 from a final 54.6 in August, flash data showed, marking the fastest expansion in private-sector activity since June and remaining above its long-run average. Output growth accelerated modestly in both manufacturing and services, with demand strengthening across the two sectors. New export orders continued to increase, although growth slowed to its weakest pace in nearly three years, reflecting softer gains among service providers despite a marginal acceleration in manufacturing. Employment rose solidly, with both sectors adding staff at broadly similar rates as output and new orders continued to expand. Outstanding business increased marginally after declining in the previous two months. On prices, input-cost inflation eased to its lowest level since January, while selling-price inflation was broadly unchanged. Business confidence strengthened across manufacturing and services, lifting overall optimism to a four-month high.
2026-09-23
India Private Sector Growth Revised Lower
India’s HSBC Composite PMI stood at 54.3 in August 2026, down slightly from the flash reading of 54.6 but unchanged from July's reading. The latest result signalled a solid pace of private-sector growth, although it remained the joint-slowest in 4-1/2 years and below the historical trend. Despite accelerating from July, total sales growth remained subdued, with the rate of expansion the second-weakest since February 2022. Growth in goods production slowed, while service providers recorded a faster upturn. Aggregate employment increased at the fastest pace in 14 months, as robust hiring among service firms more than offset continued job shedding in manufacturing. Meanwhile, composite input-cost inflation eased to a seven-month low, although the pace of charge inflation accelerated to its strongest since April.
2026-09-03
India Composite PMI Rises from Over 4-Year Low
India’s HSBC Composite Flash PMI edged up to 54.6 in August 2026 from a final 54.3 in the previous month, which had marked the lowest reading since March 2022. Services growth strengthened, offsetting the weakest factory output in five years. New orders rose marginally, staying below recent trends, while export demand remained solid, with firms citing stronger orders from the US, Germany, China, Singapore, and Japan. Hiring accelerated to match the joint-fastest pace since June 2025, as companies expanded staff to meet demand. Outstanding business fell at its steepest rate in five years, though modestly, reflecting backlog clearances. Input costs rose firmly on higher electricity, steel, transport, and tech expenses, yet cost inflation eased to a seven-month low. Selling price inflation, however, picked up to its strongest since April, driven by both services and manufacturing. Lastly, sentiment inched higher, lifted by expectations of improving market conditions.
2026-08-21