India's manufacturing sector improved at the fastest pace in four months in May driven by stronger expansions in production and new orders, survey figures from Markit Economics showed Monday.
The seasonally adjusted HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.6 in May from 51.3 in the previous month. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.
Manufacturing output expanded for the nineteenth month running in May and the pace of growth marked the fastest since January.
Total volume of new orders received by the Indian manufacturers also increased for the nineteenth successive month and at the quickest pace in four months.
Despite the growth in output, employment level in the sector broadly unchanged in May, citing uncertainty about the sustainability of growth.
On the price front, input price inflation accelerated in May, owing to higher purchasing costs for chemicals, energy, metals and textiles. However, the rate of inflation remained weaker than in the series average. Output prices also increased in May, albeit marginal overall.
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May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.