Well-known economists have predicted a high 13-15.7 percent uptick in the economy in the first quarter of 2022-23 with an upward bias.
Soumya Kanti Ghosh, the group chief economic adviser at SBI, on Tuesday said he expects the GDP to clip past 15.7 percent 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 percent in the June quarter.
The national statistical office will announce the first quarter GDP numbers later next week. While GDP contracted by 23.9 percent 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 percent, despite the period being more devastating in terms of loss of lives from the second wave of COVID-19.
The RBI-led monetary policy committee in the August 5 policy review projected the economy to grow 16.2 percent in the April-June quarter. According to SBI Research, the GDP is expected to print 15.7 percent in Q1, with a large possibility of an upward bias. If this materialises, it expects upsides to the central bank's growth projections of 7.2 percent for FY23.
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 percent, Nayar of Icra said, adding the gross value added to come in at 12.6 percent. Icra expects sectoral growth to be driven by the services sector which will log in 17-19 percent growth, followed by the industry (9-11 percent).
The SBI report said that of the 41 high frequency leading indicators that it tracks, as much as 89 percent accelerated in Q1 compared to 75 percent in Q1FY22, indicating strong and broad-based growth momentum. In Q2FY23, leading indicators continue to accelerate with 81 percent of the indicators, for which data is available showing an uptrend over Q1FY22.
Notably, private final consumption expenditure in real terms that had declined significantly by Rs 4.77 lakh crore in Q1FY21 owing to the pandemic recovered by 46 percent in Q1FY22, Ghosh said. The remaining 54 percent pent up demand recovered in Q1FY23 would also have clipped at over 54 percent, indicating a strong recovery in consumer demand, specifically in services, which has helped in the likely strong Q1FY23 numbers.
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