Asia’s Economic Growth: Spotlight on India

According to a recent poll from Reuters, it appears that economic growth in India has witnessed an escalation in the first quarter of 2013. This is particularly good news for the Asian region given that it has encountered quite a substantial low in the last quarter of 2012.  This report indicates that India could be on the upswing, moving away from its downward spiral.

However, there is still much work to be done vis-à-vis strengthening India’s economy.  Indeed, according to economist Kruti Shah, this recent statistic is “only a marginal improvement with much of the support from a slight recovery in the manufacturing sector and better trade data in this quarter compared to the previous quarter.”   However, given that there has been somewhat of a recovery in the country’s exports, factories and investments, this had a positive, noteworthy impact on the performance of the overall economy. There was a slight increase in capital goods output as well as exports which saw an escalation from levels during the same time period as 2012.

Economists and financial predictors must still be aware of India’s current account deficit that witnessed an all-time high in the last quarter of 2012 and still today remains under substantial pressure. But simultaneously, inflation dropped below 5 percent in April 2013, which puts it in the Central Bank’s comfort zone for the first time in over three years.

traducción español

China’s Economy Shows Signs of Recovery

China’s economy has finally reached a turnaround after a prolonged rough patch. Exports and domestic demand are both showing signs of recovery, and the country is buzzing as a result.

This weekend, data including figures for industrial production, fixed-asset investment, retail sales and overall economic output will be released, revealing the expansion of what is already the second-largest economy in the world.

Retail sales have also increased significantly. Liu Licai, a merchant in southern China, explained that her shelves have been emptying so quickly that she is forced to place additional orders with suppliers.

“Business has gone up by more than 10 percent in the last several month,” she said.

Situations like that of Ms. Liu have been keeping factories busy. As a result, employment rates are increasing, while construction sites show new signs of life and markets grow across the country.