India manufacturing activity accelerates in February on domestic demand

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Asia stocks slide as US-Iran strikes batter risk appetite Oil prices surge after US-Israel strikes on Iran, trim early gains Gold prices jump 2% amid widening US-Israel conflict with Iran Middle East tensions rise as Iran promises retaliation (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) India manufacturing activity accelerates in February on domestic demand By Investing.com Editor Maria Ponnezhath Economic Indicators Editor Maria Ponnezhath Published 03/02/2026, 12:36 AM India manufacturing activity accelerates in February on domestic demand 0 Investing.com -- India’s manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace in February, driven by strong domestic demand, according to the latest HSBC India Manufacturing PMI data released Monday. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 56.9 in February from 55.4 in January, reaching a four-month high. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector. Goods producers reported that demand strength, marketing initiatives and rising client requirements supported another expansion in new business intakes. The pace of growth was the strongest since October and remained historically elevated. Output rose at the fastest pace in four months, exceeding its long-run average. Panel members attributed the production increase to efficiency improvements, healthy underlying demand, rising intakes of new work and technology investment. New export orders expanded at the slowest pace in 17 months, with the rate of growth converging towards its long-run average. Companies reported gains from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US where external sales rose. Manufacturers purchased additional materials to supplement production and add to inventories as total new orders continued to expand. Buying levels rose at the fastest pace in three months. Pre-production inventories increased at a sharp rate, well above the long-run trend. Input cost inflation remai...