Remin Francis I R

The past week gave us a mixed picture, steady growth in some areas, but clear pressure building underneath, largely due to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Let’s start with India. Infrastructure output slipped by 0.4% in March 2026, a sharp reversal from the 2.8% growth in February. This marks the first contraction since October and reflects how quickly global events can ripple into domestic data. The biggest hit came from energy-linked sectors, fertiliser production plunged 24.6%, while...

Let’s start with India. The HSBC India Composite PMI was revised to 57.0 in March 2026, down from 59.9 in February, marking the slowest expansion since November 2022. The services sector continues to do the heavy lifting, while manufacturing is losing some steam. What stands out is that new orders grew at the slowest pace since November 2023, hinting that domestic demand is easing. At the same time, export demand is picking up, which is a positive sign. The services sector, with a PMI of...

Starting with India, India’s manufacturing momentum slowed in March, with the HSBC Manufacturing PMI easing to 53.9 from 56.9 in February. This marks the weakest improvement in nearly four years. The slowdown seems to be coming from rising cost pressures, intense competition, and uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict. Employment saw its fastest growth in seven months, and exports remained strong, showing the best expansion since September 2025. Interestingly, companies are absorbing...