Business sentiment for July-September 2021

Share of respondents seeing a good SQ16 jumps to 31% for manufacturing, 39% for services

S16 findings need to be viewed in the context of a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases and a pick-up in economic activity as restrictions eased gradually across the country, allowing services and facilities to claw back to normalcy. Any further rise in cases, especially in view of the threat from the omicron variant, can dampen progress in coming quarters.

Sectors with a positive trend

• Among manufacturers, 31% reported a good SQ16, higher than 16% in SQ15 and 20% in the same quarter a year ago (SQ12)
  
  • In SQ16, the highest share of respondents in pharmaceuticals and leather & leather goods reported a good quarter
    
  • On-year (SQ12 vis-à-vis SQ16), leather & leather goods and auto component sectors reported the sharpest rise in share of respondents with positive sentiment
    
• Among service providers, 39% reported a good SQ16, higher than 13% in SQ15, and 18% in SQ12
  
  • In SQ16, the highest share of respondents in logistics and media sectors reported a good quarter
    
  • On-year (SQ12 vis-à-vis SQ16), the share of respondents with positive sentiment was the highest in logistics and diversified consumer services sectors