New Delhi: The country’s services sector activity slowed slightly in December, as new work orders and business activity moderated from November’s recent high, while job creation saw a significant uptick, a monthly survey said on Friday. The seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index fell to 53.2 in December, from 53.7 in November, amid softer growth of activity and new business.
Despite easing marginally, the services PMI was in the expansion territory for the seventh straight month. In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below that denotes contraction.
“India’s service sector continued to enjoy positive levels of activity in December, with new business and employment remaining on an upward path.
However, except for jobs, rates of expansion slowed slightly to form a somewhat disappointing end to 2018,” said Pollyanna De Lima, Principal Economist at IHS Markit, and author of the report.
The survey further noted that business sentiment rose to a three-month high in December. Factors like advertising efforts, new service offerings and predictions of an improvement in market conditions after the elections, all boosted business sentiment regarding the 12-month outlook. (PTI)
