Google mobility trends indicate Indian economy hobbling back to normalcy

According to the Google Covid-19 Community Mobility report that maps mobility trends across six location types — retail and recreation, grocery and pharmacy, transport hubs, parks, workplaces, residential areas — there has been a gradual improvement in activity levels from 1 June. India started unlocking its economy in phases beginning 8 June, allowing more economic activities to restart.

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Key-Points

The Google data set indicates that stepping out for essential services such as groceries and pharmacies have touched pre-covid-19 level.

This adds heft to the finance ministry’s view that ‘green shoots’ of revival have emerged with the gradual opening up of the economy.

India’s petroleum product consumption has sharply recovered from the lowest slump recorded since 2007, after the world’s longest lockdown ended and reached 88% last month.

The demand for bitumen used in road construction has gone up by 32% in June as compared to last year, as road building activity picked up.

India’s power and overall energy demand, which had nosedived, is slowly returning to its pre-lockdown levels.

Consumption of energy especially electricity and refinery products is a good barometer of level of economic activity in a country.