India's GDP contracts by 7.3% in FY21, rises 1.6% in Q4

The GDP had expanded by 3 per cent in the corresponding January-March period of 2019-20

India's economy grew by 1.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020-21, restricting the full-year contraction to 7.3 per cent, official data showed on Monday.

The fourth quarter growth was better than the 0.5 per cent expansion in the previous October-December quarter of 2020-21.

The gross domestic product (GDP) had expanded by 3 per cent in the corresponding January-March period of 2019-20, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

In 2020-21, the Indian economy contracted by 7.3 per cent against 4 per cent expansion in 2019-20, showing the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The NSO had projected a GDP contraction of 7.7 per cent in 2020-21 in its first advance estimates of national accounts released in January this year.

The NSO, in its second revised estimates, had projected a contraction of 8 per cent for 2020-21.

China has recorded a 18.3 per cent growth in January-March 2021.