New Delhi, Dec. 16 -- The pace of business growth in India slowed slightly in December, but overall activity in the private sector remained strong, according to the latest HSBC PMI data released on Tuesday.

The HSBC PMI Composite Index, which combines the output of India's manufacturing and service sectors, fell to 58.9 in December from 59.7 in November. Even though the index declined, it stayed well above the 50.0 mark, which shows that business activity is still growing.

The December reading pointed to the softest growth in business output since February, but it continued to signal a steep expansion across the private sector.

The data showed that both manufacturing and service sectors saw slower growth in business activity during Dec...