India's economy grew a lower-than-expected 6.6 percent in the October-December period, the lowest in five quarters, dragged by lower farm and manufacturing growth, government data showed on Thursday.

A Reuters poll of economists had forecast a growth of 6.9 percent for the December quarter, compared with a downwardly revised 7.0 percent rise in July-September.

India's $2.6 trillion economy, Asia's third largest, grew at upwardly revised 7.7 percent in the October-December quarter of 2017, the data released by the statistics ministry showed.