India's industrial economy hit a speed bump in the first half of FY26, with the growth of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) slowing to a nine-month low of 1.2% in May 2025, far removed from 2.6% in April and a robust 6.3% in the same period a year ago. The slowdown is most pronounced i...
India's industrial economy hit a speed bump in the first half of FY26, with the growth of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) slowing to a nine-month low of 1.2% in May 2025, far removed from 2.6% in April and a robust 6.3% in the same period a year ago. The slowdown is most pronounced in consumer goods, which captures continued weakness in rural demand and manufacturing.
Key Highlights:
Consumer Goods Slump: Consumer durables and non-durables continued to decline lower, an indicator of weak demand and slow rural consumption. Non-durables declined for the third straight month, with weak sales of food and hygiene items reflecting a broader FMCG slowdown.
Manufacturing Slows Down: Manufacturing, which represents more than three-fourths of the IIP, increased only 2.6% in May, barely half from 5.1% in May 2024. Mining production fell into the negative at -0.1%, and electricity generation fell sharply by -5.8%—both reversing high growth a year ago.
Early Monsoon Effect: Early arrival of the monsoon suppressed mining activity and power consumption, which further weighed on industrial production overall.
Quarterly Outlook: April-May FY26 industrial output was at 1.8%, a stark deviation from 5.7% growth in the corresponding quarter last year. Economists warn that this sluggish start will restrain industrial GVA growth in Q1, as three out of six use-based categories contracted.
Expert View: Analysts are blaming the slowdown on a combination of domestic demand weakness, foreign trade woes, and supply chain bottlenecks. The lone silver lining was a 14.1% growth in capital goods on the back of a low base effect. With industrial expansion decelerating and consumer product manufacturing slowing down, policymakers are facing increasing pressure to boost demand and rev up the economy in the coming months.