The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for India Increased in April

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May 20, 2015, 12:30 ET

MUMBAI, India, May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for India increased 0.6 percent in April to 102.6 (2010 = 100), following a decline in March and no change in February. Merchandise exports, M3: bank credit to commercial sector, cargo handled, and industrial production: capital goods contributed positively to the index in April.

"After contracting in the first quarter of this year, April's increase in the Leading Economic Index (LEI) for India is somewhat encouraging," said Jing Sima, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "However, the increase in the LEI did not offset March's large decline and the index continues to struggle to gain traction, suggesting India's economy is not yet on a faster-growing trajectory."

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^® (CEI) for India, which measures current economic activity, increased 2.5 percent in April at 108.2 (2010 = 100), following a decline in March and no change in February. Two of the three components contributed positively to the index in April.

The Conference Board LEI for India aggregates eight economic indicators that measure economic activity in India. Each of the LEI components has proven accurate on its own. Aggregating individual indicators into a composite index filters out so-called "noise" to show underlying trends more clearly.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for India

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for India was launched in September 2013. Plotted back to April 1990, this index has successfully signaled turning points in the economic cycles of India. The Conference Board also produces LEIs for Australia, Brazil, China, the Euro Area, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The eight components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for India include:

Interest Rate Spread (10-Year Government Bond minus 91-Day Treasury Bill) (RBI)
Stock Prices: SENSEX Average (Bombay Stock Exchange Limited)
Real effective exchange rate index, 36 countries (RBI)
Real Money Supply: M3 Bank Credit to Commercial Sector (RBI)
Merchandise Exports, f.o.b. (Ministry of Commerce and Industry)
Cargo Handled: Domestic and International (Airport Authority of India)
IP: Capital Goods (Central Statistical Organization)
PMI: Services Business Activity (HSBC/Markit)

For more information including full press release and technical notes:
https://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=13

To view The Conference Board calendar of 2015 indicator releases:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. For additional information about The Conference Board and how it can meet your needs, visit our website at www.conference-board.org.

Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes

	2015					6-month
	Feb	Mar		Apr		Oct to Apr

Leading Economic Index	103.1	102.0	r	102.6	p
Percent Change	0.0	-1.1	r	0.6	p	0.1
Diffusion	62.5	18.8		50.0		75.0

Coincident Economic Index	106.8	105.6	r	108.2	p
Percent Change	0.0	-1.1	r	2.5	p	4.2
Diffusion	66.7	33.3		66.7		66.7

n.a. Not available p Preliminary r Revised Indexes equal 100 in 2010 Source: The Conference Board All Rights Reserved