The pandemic had a far-reaching impact on the ability of firms to source new work intakes from abroad NEW DELHI : Growth in India’s services sector contracted in March after posting the strongest rise in business activity in more than seven years in February, as the covid-19 outbreak dented demand, particularly in overseas markets, a survey by IHS Markit showed.
The impact of the pandemic is set to worsen in the coming months with the government enforcing an unprecedented 21-day nationwide lockdown from 25 March which has left industries and shops shut, the data analytics firm said.
The Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which had touched an 85-month high of 57.5 in February, fell to 49.3 after rising for five consecutive months,