India retail trade output grew 18% year-on-year in June: trial index

MoSPI’s trial Index of Services Production showed retail trade output up 18% year-on-year in June, alongside 15.1% growth in wholesale trade. The weighted average across 19 services rose to 13.1% from 9.5% in May.

— Source publishedMon, 31 Aug, 2026, 23:55 IST·First seen Tue, 1 Sept, 2026, 00:17 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

India's trial services index indicated a June recovery, with retail trade output growing 18% year-on-year. Wholesale trade rose 15.1%, while the weighted average across 19 tracked services sectors increased to 13.1% from 9.5% in May.

Key facts

  • Weighted average ISP growth: 13.1% in June
  • Weighted average ISP growth: 9.5% in May
  • Retail trade growth: 18% year-on-year in June
  • Wholesale trade growth: 15.1% year-on-year in June
  • Real estate growth: 24.7% year-on-year in June
  • Services sector GDP growth: 10% in April-June
  • IT and computer-related services growth: 13.5% in June
  • Air transport output: -6% year-on-year in June

Why this matters

Broad-based retail and wholesale acceleration could improve the strategic appeal of India-facing distribution, omnichannel, and store-network targets, particularly assets positioned to convert rising consumer traffic into repeat sales.

What to watch

  • July-August retail trade output and revisions to the trial Index of Services Production.
  • Festival-period pre-orders, retailer inventory-to-sales ratios and supplier order books.
  • Consumer confidence, real wage growth, inflation in food and fuel, and household credit growth.
  • Monthly GST collections, UPI transaction volumes and card-spend trends as corroborating consumption signals.
  • Monsoon distribution and rural income indicators, which will determine whether growth broadens beyond urban consumers.
  • Retailer commentary on footfall, discount intensity, gross margins and new-store openings.
  • Increase high-frequency tracking of same-store sales, transaction counts, basket size and category mix rather than relying on output growth alone.
  • Secure festive inventory for fast-turning discretionary and seasonal categories while maintaining flexible replenishment for slower-moving stock.
  • Review staffing, warehouse throughput and last-mile capacity for a potential demand uplift in the next two quarters.
  • Prioritise promotions that raise basket attachment and repeat visits rather than broad discounting that risks margin dilution.
  • Use regional demand data to distinguish broad consumption recovery from metro-led growth.