India's factory output logs 2 percent growth, inflation falls

New Delhi: In what comes as a twin dose of positive news, India's factory output for February logged a growth of 2 percent after three straight months of decline, even as annual retail inflation fell to 4.83 percent in March from 5.26 percent in the month before. The annual food inflation for the month also showed a decline to 5.21 percent from 5.30 percent, but the manufacturing sector continued to be pressured, barely managing a growth of 0.7 percent in February, as per data released by the Central Statistics Office on Tuesday. The news comes over and above the predictions by the Indian Meteorological Department that after two straight years of drought, India is likely to be showered with above-normal rains during the upcoming monsoon season, with a probability of more than 94 percent precipitation.