| The survey, which involved over 190 member companies across sectors, revealed that around 87 per cent of the respondents plan to increase investments during October-March, 2007-08. |
| However, the index is down by 5.5 points (7.66 per cent) when compared with the corresponding period last year. |
| Recent data showed that the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 8.9 per cent in the second quarter ending September 2007, which is a dip from 9.3 per cent in the first quarter ending June 2007. |
| The business confidence index (BCI), which is constructed as a weighted average of the current situation index (CSI) and the expectations index (EI), was higher among the services sector at 68.3 points, compared with manufacturing firms which stood at 65.1, the survey said. |
| According to the survey, 59 per cent of the total respondents felt that the GDP is expected to be around 9 per cent. Also, nearly 22 per cent of the respondents expect the GDP growth rate to be in the range of 9-9.5 per cent. |
| There are signs of declining demand, especially in the consumer durable sector, as the survey revealed that around 45 per cent of the respondents expect the inventory levels to increase. |
| Nearly 82 per cent of the respondents expected the value of production to increase in the next six months as against only 66 per cent in April-September 2007. This, according to the survey, is because of expected increase in new orders. |
| "The second half of 2007-08 is expected to be better in terms of increase in new orders as 75 per cent of the respondents expected new orders to increase in the next six months, while only 61 per cent of the respondents had reported increase in new orders had increased in Apr- Sep, 2007," the survey said. |
| Keeping in line with expected increase in production, employment is also expected to increase in the second half of this financial year, revealed 51 per cent of the respondents. |
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