India is facing its fourth and the worst recession since independence, said Crisil on Tuesday and also predicted that the economy is likely to shrink by 5 percent in the current fiscal due to Covid-19 lockdown.
“The first quarter (April to June 2020) will suffer a staggering 25 per cent contraction,” it said in its assessment of India’s GDP.
“About 10% of gross domestic product (GDP) in real terms could be permanently lost. So going back to the growth rates seen before the pandemic is unlikely in the next three fiscals.”
In the past 69 years, India saw a recession only thrice as per available data during fiscals 1958, 1966 and 1980. The reason of the recession was same each time – a monsoon shock that hit agriculture, then a sizeable part of the economy.
According to Crisil, the recession in the current fiscal (April 2020 to March 2021) is dissimilar as agriculture could be able dilute the blow this time by growing near its trend rate, assuming a normal monsoon.
The Covid-19 lockdown was first imposed on March 25 and now extended thrice till May 31, has hampered economic activity severely.
“The first quarter of this fiscal will be the worst affected,” it said. “Not only will the first quarter be a washout for the non-agricultural economy, services such as education, and travel and tourism among others could continue to see a big hit in the quarters to come. Jobs and incomes will see extended losses as these sectors are large employers.”
