
India’s HSBC Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) eased to 54.7 in October from 55.1 in September, data released on 2 November showed, remaining above the 50-mark for the 60th consecutive month and above its long-term average. TradingView noted the reading was revised down from an earlier flash estimate of 54.9, a detail absent from other reports. New export orders grew at their fastest pace in six months, supported by demand from markets including Bangladesh, Canada, Indonesia, the US and the UAE.

Input cost inflation slowed to its lowest since February, and selling price inflation was the weakest in nearly four years, S&P Global reported. Employment rose for a second month, albeit modestly, while finished goods inventories grew at a record pace as manufacturers built stocks. Business confidence slipped from September and stayed below its long-run average, with about 18 per cent of firms expecting higher output in 2027. The final HSBC Services PMI for October is due on 4 November, followed by RBI forex reserves data for the week ended 30 October on 6 November.
The two main storylines come from different sources: Business Standard, ANI, The Hindu Business Line and TradingView all report the October HSBC Manufacturing PMI eased to 54.7 from 55.1 in September, with export orders at a six-month high and input cost inflation at its lowest since February. TradingView adds that the reading was revised down slightly from a 54.9 flash estimate, a nuance absent from the other accounts. ANI and The Hindu Business Line carry identical detail, including HSBC economist Pranjul Bhandari’s comment on precautionary inventory-building. Business Standard, publishing before the PMI release, focuses on the data calendar, noting the final Services PMI is due on 4 November and forex reserves data on 6 November, it supplies the September context.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): business-standard.com (neutral report), ANI (carried by aninews.in, thehindubusinessline.com), tradingview.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 2 November 2026: this story now draws on 4 sources.