IT, manufacturing sectors see higher sales growth in FY25 despite input cost pressures: RBI –

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the annual performance report of listed private non-financial companies for the year 2024-25. Despite global headwinds, the sales growth of IT companies improved to 7.1 per cent, up from 5.5 per cent in the previous year.
 
According to the RBI, the sales of manufacturing sector companies grew by 6.0 per cent in 2024-25, compared to 3.5 per cent in the previous year. This growth was primarily driven by the automobile, electrical machinery, food & beverages, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the petroleum and iron & steel industries recorded a contraction in sales during the same period.
 
Non-IT services companies registered double-digit sales growth, supported by strong performances in the telecommunications, transport & storage, and wholesale & retail trade sectors.
 
The report also highlighted a 6.6 per cent rise in raw material expenses for manufacturing companies during 2024-25. The raw material-to-sales ratio increased to 55.7 per cent from 54.2 per cent the previous year, indicating mounting input cost pressures.
 
Staff costs saw a rise across sectors: 10.0 per cent for manufacturing, 4.4 per cent for IT, and 12.0 per cent for non-IT services companies during 2024-25.