Mumbai, Aug. 21 -- India's private sector activity improved marginally in August, with the HSBC Flash India PMI Composite Output Index rising to 54.6 from July's 52-month low of 54.3. However, the reading remained the second-weakest since March 2022, reflecting subdued overall demand.
The improvement was led by services, where business activity and new orders picked up after hitting 53-month lows in July. In contrast, manufacturing growth weakened, with the HSBC Flash India Manufacturing PMI falling for the third consecutive month to 52.9, its weakest level in five years.
New orders increased slightly faster, while export orders continued to grow solidly, supported by demand from markets including the US, Germany, China, Singapore and Jap...