new delhi, Sept. 2 -- India's manufacturing activity in August, as measured by the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), rose to a 17-and-a-half year high as stronger demand pulled up both output and new orders, according to a release by S&P Global on Monday. The PMI number came in at 59.3 in August, up from 59.1 in July. The reading remained above the 50-mark, which indicates expansion over the last month. The index has remained above 50 for four years now. "India's manufacturing PMI hit another new high in August, driven by a rapid expansion in production," said Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC. The PMI reading for June was, however, lower than the flash PMI reading of 59.8 that was released last month....