GST collection falls, exports drop: Is India's economic growth slowing?

The index of industrial production (IIP), which tracks the output of eight core industries, such as coal, oil, and electricity, was negative in August for the first time in three years

What seemed like a one-off issue is starting to look like a trend. Growth in collection from goods and services tax (GST) fell to 6.5 per cent, its lowest level in 40 months. At 6.5 per cent, GST collection barely tracked inflation, which means there was no volume growth. The trade deficit widened to $29.7 billion in August from $24.2 billion a year earlier. India’s merchandise exports, its weakest spot and a tell-tale sign of India’s poor competitiveness, declined to $34.7 billion in August from $38.3 billion in the same month last year. The annual gross domestic