Fuelled by predictions of buoyant client appetite and attempts to expand capacities, private companies in India upgraded their hiring goals in June in line with forecasts of demand strength in the year ahead, according to the HSBC India Business Outlook data compiled by S&P Global.

The proportion of companies in India planning to recruit extra staff exceeded that of a contraction by 14 per cent—the highest reading since February 2020 and above the global average of 11 per cent. The respective figure for emerging markets was at 5 per cent.

The upturn in hiring plans in India was led by goods producers, with the net balance up from 10 per cent to 14 per cent.

Whereas sentiment regarding workforce expansion improved in June, Indian companies were neutral surrounding research and development budgets. Fractional optimism was signalled by manufacturers (net balance at 1 per cent).

To secure new work, firms intend to increase marketing and price more competitively.

Panelists foresee softer output growth in India over the course of the coming 12 months, with the overall level of confidence broadly aligned with its long-run average and the business activity net balance at 23 per cent in June.

When analysing opportunities for the future, monitored companies in the survey suggested that greater numbers of client enquiries and pending quotations, alongside competitive pricing and expanded capacities, could support business activity, S&P Global said in a release.

Firms also indicated that market conditions should start to normalise now that the election is over, with potentially favourable schemes and subsidies—especially around solar panels—regarded as favourable prospects for the outlook.

The decline in output prospects can be attributed to various factors. First, client demands for price reductions have put pressure on businesses, which could constrain output.

Second, the entry of new firms could intensify competition in the market, further affecting activity levels. Last, the risk of customer payment defaults was also highlighted as a challenge.

Capital investment in the Indian private sector looks set to increase over the course of the coming 12 months. At 7 per cent in June, however, the net balance indicated the lowest level of confidence since June 2021. On this front, the reading for India was below the global average (10 per cent), but equal to the figure for emerging markets.