The economy is estimated to have grown by 7.1 per cent in 2016-17 in
line with the earlier projection of the Central Statistics Office.
The
data is part of the first revised estimates of national income for
2016-17, which was marked by the sudden decision to demonetise ?500 and ?1,000 notes. The CSO also revised upwards its GDP growth estimate for 2015-16 to 8.2 per cent from the previous 8 per cent.
Economy
activity in 2017-18 is expected to have been further impacted by the
rollout of GST (Goods and Services Tax), and GDP growth is estimated at
6.7 per cent. The Economic Survey, released on Monday, projected GDP
growth of 7-7.5 per cent next fiscal.
Industrial growth
But
ahead of Union Budget 2018-19 on Thursday, a separate set of official
data showed that industrial activity is yet to fully stabilise after the
twin disruptions of the note-ban and GST. The eight core industries
grew at a five-month low of 4 per cent in December, with little or no
growth in six of the monitored sectors.
These eight core industries grew 7.4 per cent in November last year and 5.6 per cent in December 2016.
The
data indicates that factory output may also have slowed down in
December as the core sector industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the
weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production.
IIP grew 8.4 per cent, a 25-month high, in November last year.
Gross value added
The CSO also revised higher its
projection of growth in gross value added (GVA) to 7.1 per cent from the
previous forecast of 6.6 per cent, against 8.1 per cent growth in
2015-16. The CSO attributed the revision in its GVA estimate to higher
performance in the primary and secondary sector, which grew by 7.4 per
cent and 6.1 per cent, respectively. The performance of the tertiary
sector was more subdued than previously captured in the provisional
estimate release in May 2017.
"Nominal GDP or GDP at current prices in 2016-17 is estimated as ?152.54 lakh crore while that for 2015-16 is estimated as ?137.64 lakh crore, a growth of 10.8 per cent during 2016-17 as against 10.4 per cent during 2015-16," it said.
Per capita income at current prices is estimated at ?94,731 and ?1,03,870, respectively, for 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Private
final consumption expenditure rose 7.2 per cent and government final
consumption expenditure has been revised down to 12.2 per cent. Gross
savings grew 6.29 per cent while gross fixed capital formation is
estimated at 10.1 per cent in 2016-17.
"The extent of the revision
in the growth for government final consumption expenditure and gross
fixed capital formation is surprisingly large. In constant terms, the
size of the discrepancies remains quite substantial for 2015-16 and
2016-2017, which may portend subsequent revisions in the pace of growth
of the components of GDP," said Aditi Nayar, Principal economist, ICRA.
Under the third revision, the CSO has estimated GDP growth in 2014-15 at 7.4 per cent from earlier estimates of 7.5 per cent.