What is Driving India's Flash PMI to 60.7 in July?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- India's PMI rose to 60.7 in July, indicating strong growth.
- Manufacturing PMI reached its highest level in 17.5 years.
- Services PMI showed a slight decline but remains robust.
- Inflationary pressures are rising, impacting costs.
- Business optimism remains high for the next 12 months.
New Delhi, July 24 (NationPress) The private sector in India demonstrated substantial growth in July, driven by vigorous manufacturing and heightened global demand, as reported by the HSBC Flash India Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) on Thursday.
The HSBC Flash India Composite PMI Output Index, compiled by S&P Global, surged to 60.7 in July from 58.4 in June.
The Manufacturing PMI index rose to 59.2 in July from 58.4 in June, reaching its highest point in nearly 17-and-a-half years.
The Services PMI registered 59.8 in July, a decline from 60.4 in June. Although services activity continued to experience growth, the rate of expansion slowed, as noted.
According to Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, "India's flash composite PMI remained robust in July at 60.7. The impressive performance was supported by increases in total sales, export orders, and output levels. Indian manufacturers outpaced services in terms of growth for all three metrics mentioned."
The inflow of international orders to private sector firms in India saw a significant increase at the onset of the second fiscal quarter (Q2 FY26).
Bhandari further stated, "However, inflationary pressures are intensifying as both input costs and output prices climbed in July. Additionally, business confidence dipped to its lowest level since March 2023, while employment growth moderated."
Despite these challenges, Indian companies remain optimistic about output growth over the coming 12 months.
There has been a noticeable increase in employment, particularly within the service sector, indicating that healthy job creation is accompanying the expansion of both India’s manufacturing and service sectors, according to the report.
While goods producers noted the slowest rise in output for three months during May, service providers experienced the fastest growth since March 2024.
At the composite level, the latest upturn was the quickest in just over a year. Companies surveyed attributed this growth to robust demand, technological investments, and expanded capacities, as revealed by the HSBC survey.