The Indian economy grew by 5.3% in the July-September period of the current financial year (2012-13), pulled down by poor performance of manufacturing and agriculture sectors, showing persistent signs of slowdown.
The gross domestic product (GDP) had expanded by 6.7% in the same period of last fiscal.
It had grown by 5.5% in the first quarter (April-June) of 2012-13.
During the three-month period ended September 30, the manufacturing sector grew marginally by 0.8%, against 2.9% growth in the same period of 2011-12, according to data released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) today.
Farm sector output expanded by just 1.2% in the July-September period this fiscal against 3.1% in the same period last year.
Mining and quarrying sector, however, showed some improvement and recorded a growth of 1.9% during the quarter, as against a contraction of 5.4% in the second quarter of 2011-12.
The economic growth in the first six month of this fiscal (April-September) is 5.4%, lower than 7.3% growth clocked in the year-ago period.
In the July-September quarter, trade, hotels, transport and communications segment also witnessed lower pace of growth at 5.5% compared to 9.5% expansion in the same quarter in year ago.
The growth rate of electricity, gas and water supply also dipped to 3.4% in the second quarter, from 9.8% witnessed in the same quarter of 2011-12.
Construction sector expanded by 6.7% Q2 of 2012-13, as against 6.3% in the year-ago period.
Growth rate of services sector, including insurance and real estate, stood at 9.4% in the second quarter, against 9.9% recorded in same quarter last fiscal.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram had earlier said that the economy faces a "difficult situation" and the way to overcome this difficult situation is through innovation and increasing the production of goods and services.
