India's economy grew by 20.1pc on the year in April-June despite strict lockdowns imposed in many states to curb a second wave of Covid-19infections. But this growth fell short of central bank expectations.
The country's gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of the fiscal year that ends in March 2022 rose against a low base in the same period in 2020, when the economy shrunk by 24.4pc on the year because of nationwide lockdowns, government data show.
The GDP fell short of the Reserve Bank of India's 21.4pc growth estimate and was down by 9.2pc compared with the April-June quarter of 2019, indicating that growth has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Growth was driven mainly by the manufacturing and construction industry, the government data show. Gross value added in the manufacturing and construction sector surged by 49.6pc and 68.3pc on the year, respectively, but these were below pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, Indian fuel demand rose in the April-June period compared with a year earlier, although growth was limited by the impact of the most recent Covid-19 lockdowns. Gasoline and diesel use fell on the month in April and May, but picked up in June. Motor fuel use remained well below pre-pandemic levels in April-June 2019.