The week in charts: GDP growth estimate, trade deficit concerns, services PMI
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. From India’s economic activity estimated to remain strong in 2025-26, to India's oil companies expected to benefit from the US invasion of Venezuela, services activity losing momentum in December, Niti Aayog expressing worry over India’s high trade deficit with several countries despite trade deals, and rising prices of copper—here’s this week’s news in numbers.
Growth dynamics
The government pegged GDP growth at 7.4% in 2025-26 despite the ongoing uncertainty related to high US tariffs. The first advance estimate released on Wednesday put GDP growth marginally higher than the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) projection of 7.3%.
The figure implies a 6.8% increase in the second half of the year, following an 8% increase in the first half, suggesting that global uncertainty may still be a factor. This year, the government has announced massive cuts in income tax and goods and services tax (GST) to boost consumption. However, private final consumption expenditure (PFCE), a proxy for household consumption, is expected to slow down to 7.0% from 7.2% last year, suggesting that the tax cuts have not fully stimulated demand in the economy.
Potential gain?
Indian oil stocks jumped on Monday on the news of the US military operation in Venezuela. The optimism was driven by the possible gains for Indian companies from the restructuring of the oil industry in Venezuela after the US takeover. Stock prices of Oil and Natural Gas Corp.
Ltd (ONGC) and other oil-related stocks witnessed a 0.3-2% jump in opening prices on Monday. Investors are betting on the possible unblocking of long-pending dividends, frozen by sanctions, to companies like ONGC. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is also expected to gain from
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