Leading Economists Expects Q1 GDP Growth At 13-15.7%

Leading economists have pencilled in a high 13-15.7 per cent uptick in the economy in the first quarter of 2022-23 with an upward bias. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, the group chief economic adviser at State Bank of India, on Tuesday said he expects the GDP to clip past 15.7 per cent in the first quarter with more chances of the final numbers printing in higher, while Aditi Nayar, the chief economist at the rating agency Icra, said the economy will grow much lower at 13 per cent in the June quarter.

Recent Trend:

While GDP contracted by 23.9 per cent in June 2020 due to the first wave of the pandemic, the same had given a higher boost in June 2021 clipping at 20.1 per cent, despite the period being more devastating in terms of loss of lives from the second wave of COVID-19. The Reserve Bank-led monetary policy committee in the August 5 policy review projected the economy to grow 16.2 per cent in the April-June quarter.

Other Prospects:

The high base effect along with the impact of the heatwave on wheat output, geo-political issues and elevated commodity prices on demand/margins will temper the pace of growth in Q1 at 13 per cent, Nayar of Icra said, adding the gross value added to come in at 12.6 per cent. Icra expects sectoral growth to be driven by the services sector which will log in 17-19 per cent growth, followed by the industry 9-11 per cent.