{
  "id": 18083403,
  "title": "India's services growth accelerates to 55.8 in October, cost pressures ease to six-year low",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/indias-services-growth-accelerates-to-55-8-in-october-cost-pressures",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-04T06:06:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times - Economy",
    "slug": "the-economic-times-economy",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/indias-services-growth-accelerates-to-55-8-in-october-cost-pressures-ease-to-six-year-low/articleshow/135526472.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's services sector showed robust growth in October, with the HSBC Services PMI rising to 55.8 from 55.2 in September, indicating expansion above the 50-point threshold that denotes growth. This robust activity was fueled by strong demand, increased sales, and positive advertising efforts. Cost pressures eased to a six-year low, with input prices increasing at their slowest pace since August 2020 and the rate of increase in prices charged to customers slowing to the weakest level since June. HSBC India's Chief Economist, Pranjul Bhandari, noted that while overall demand remained strong, new export orders grew at the slowest pace since February 2023, and employment growth weakened to its weakest level since June, suggesting service sector businesses have sufficient capacity to meet current staffing needs. Domestic demand was the primary driver of sales growth, while international sales expanded at a marginal pace, the slowest in nearly four years. All four broad service categories experienced accelerated growth in new business and output, with Finance and Insurance leading the surge. Although some companies reported higher spending on electricity, labor, raw materials, and transportation, fewer than 3% of service providers raised their selling prices in the third fiscal quarter, as they passed on higher costs to customers. The broader private sector also demonstrated stronger growth, with the HSBC India Composite PMI Output Index reaching 56.2 in October, marking its fastest expansion in four months. Despite the positive growth in the services sector, business optimism weakened in October and remained below its long-term average, indicating a cautious outlook for the future.",
  "summary": "India's services sector activity expanded at its fastest pace in four months in October, with the HSBC India Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising to 55.8 from 55.2 in September, while input cost inflation eased to its lowest level in more than six years, according to data released by S&P Global on Wednesday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}