India services sector loses steam: Growth moderates amid rains, competition; HSBC PMI shows softest rise in 5 months – The Times of India

India’s services sector saw its slowest pace of growth in five months during October, as competitive market pressures and heavy rainfall in some regions weighed on business activity.According to the monthly HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index, compiled by S&P Global, the seasonally adjusted reading fell to 58.9 in October, down from 60.9 in September, signalling the weakest expansion since May. Despite the moderation, the figure remained comfortably above the neutral 50 mark—which separates growth from contraction—and higher than the long-term average of 54.3, as per news agency PTI.Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, said, “India’s services PMI softened to 58.9 in October, which represented the slowest pace of expansion since May. Competitive pressures and heavy rains were cited as contributors to the sequential slowdown.”The survey, based on responses from around 400 service sector firms, indicated that while demand buoyancy and GST relief helped improve business conditions, factors such as increased competition and adverse weather dampened momentum.External demand for Indian services also grew further, though the rate of increase was the weakest since March. The report noted that the GST reform had a positive influence on price pressures, with input costs and output charges rising at their slowest pace in 14 and seven months, respectively.Companies remained optimistic about future business activity, expressing strong confidence in growth prospects over the next year. To meet new orders and ensure timely service delivery, many firms added staff in October.The HSBC India Composite PMI Output Index, which combines manufacturing and services data, also reflected slower growth—dropping from 61 in September to 60.4 in October, marking the weakest expansion since May. “India’s composite PMI fell on a sequential basis from 61 in September to 60.4 last month, largely due to the slowdown in the services sector,” Bhandari added.Composite PMI indices are weighted averages of the manufacturing and services PMIs, adjusted to reflect their share in India’s GDP.