Rise in non-oil, non-gold imports might not mean industrial demand revival

Experts and economists have said that industrial production numbers do not reflect any demand

Non-oil, non-gold imports have continued to post growth in January but it may not be a sign of revival in industrial production, economists warn.

On Wednesday, figures from the Commerce and Industry Ministry revealed that India’s merchandise exports went up for the fifth consecutive month in January. This was accompanied by a substantial rise in imports as well, which grew by 10.70 per cent in January to $31.95 billion, the highest pace seen in more than two years.

Among these imports, the non-oil, non-gold component — generally taken as a measure of industrial demand in the country — rose by 4.16 per