The manufacturing sector — which constitutes 77.63 p.c of the IIP — declined by 3.7 p.c in February 2021, as per NSO knowledge
New Delhi: In a double whammy for the financial system, retail inflation jumped to a four-month excessive of 5.52 p.c in March whereas industrial output contracted for the second month in a row, falling 3.6 p.c in February — reinforcing considerations over the tempo of GDP restoration amid a recent wave of coronavirus infections.
Contraction in manufacturing unit output, measured because the Index of Industrial Manufacturing or IIP, in February got here on the again of a 0.9 p.c decline in January, in keeping with authorities knowledge launched on Monday.
With each mining and manufacturing contracting in February, the shortage of momentum in industrial exercise together with recent COVID-19 lockdowns in sure states has forged its shadow on the probability of significant constructive GDP progress within the fourth quarter of the 2020-21 fiscal.
Policymakers had anticipated constructive GDP progress in January-March to limit the annual FY21 contraction to 7.5-8 p.c.
Greater meals inflation and spurt in gas costs led the buyer worth index (CPI) based mostly retail inflation rising to five.52 p.c in March, from 5.03 p.c within the earlier month.
Core inflation jumped to a 29-month excessive of 5.96 p.c in March 2021 (3.95 p.c in March 2020 and 5.88 p.c in February 2021).
Although the contraction in IIP progress in February might be attributed to the bottom impact (February 2020 progress was at a 16-month excessive), there was a worrisome sequential drop within the manufacturing output.
This comes as India reported one more peak in each day COVID-19 circumstances with 1,68,912 new circumstances, the very best single-day rise for the reason that pandemic started, with its whole tally pushing previous 1.35 crore.
Some states corresponding to Maharashtra and Delhi have already imposed partial lockdowns to curb its unfold.
Commenting on the macroeconomic knowledge, India Rankings and Analysis stated the uptick witnessed in September and October final 12 months was extra as a consequence of a mixture of festive and pent-up demand and India remains to be removed from witnessing a sustained restoration.
“Progress sample of major and intermediate items, two main indicators of business manufacturing are pointing in direction of a lackluster industrial efficiency in short- to medium-run,” it stated. “This additionally means authorities and RBI must proceed to assist the demand.”
Inflation, it stated, is predicted to stay sticky, resulting in the Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI) persevering with with its accommodative coverage stance all through the 2021-22 fiscal.
Suman Chowdhury, Chief Analytical Officer, Acuit Rankings & Analysis, stated any additional enhance in costs as a consequence of lockdown-driven potential provide constraints, continued depreciation of the rupee and persevering with rise in commodity costs will stay a danger issue and should pose a coverage problem for RBI.
“Nevertheless, the inflation ranges are unlikely to set off any motion from RBI at this level given the elevated dangers of recent lockdowns from the second COVID wave and the rising progress considerations.”
In accordance with knowledge launched by the Nationwide Statistical Workplace (NSO), the speed of worth rise within the meals basket accelerated to 4.94 p.c in March, as towards 3.87 p.c within the previous month.
Inflation within the ‘gas and light-weight’ class was 4.50 p.c through the month vis-a-vis 3.53 p.c in February.
Earlier this month, the RBI had projected the retail inflation at 5 p.c within the January-March quarter of 2020-21 and 5.2 p.c within the first two-quarters of the present fiscal.
After breaching the higher tolerance threshold of 6 p.c for six consecutive months (June-November 2020), CPI inflation fell in December 2020 and eased additional in January 2021 to 4.1 p.c on the again of a pointy correction in vegetable costs and softening of cereal costs. Nevertheless, it rebounded to 5 p.c in February, pushed primarily by base results.
The Reserve Financial institution, which primarily elements within the retail inflation whereas arriving at its financial coverage, has been requested to maintain CPI inflation at 4 p.c with a margin of two p.c on both aspect.
The central financial institution retained the important thing lending fee (repo) in its final financial coverage citing inflationary considerations.
The manufacturing sector — which constitutes 77.63 p.c of the IIP — declined by 3.7 p.c in February 2021, as per NSO knowledge. The mining sector output declined by 5.5 p.c in February 2021. Nevertheless, energy era grew marginally by 0.1 p.c within the month underneath evaluate.
The index had grown by 5.2 p.c in February 2020.
The economic manufacturing had plunged 18.7 p.c in March final 12 months following the COVID-19 outbreak and remained within the adverse zone until August 2020.
With the resumption of financial actions, manufacturing unit output posted an increase of 1 p.c in September. The IIP had grown by 4.5 p.c in October. In November 2020, the manufacturing unit output fell 1.6 p.c, whereas it once more entered the constructive territory by rising 1.6 p.c in December 2020.
The IIP knowledge for January 2021 has been revised to 0.9 p.c contraction from a 1.6 p.c decline, as per the provisional knowledge launched in March 2021.