New Delhi, May 20 -- Industry body PHDCCI's SME Market Sentiment Index suggests a robust growth outlook for the first quarter of financial year 2026 (Q1 FY2026), based on a survey conducted on 3,000 pan-India SME firms across various manufacturing units.

SME Business Outlook Index (SME-BOI) which provides the outlook for the next quarter stood at 60.3, signaling strong confidence in the economy. Notably, 67 per cent of respondents expect an improvement in business activity, 47 per cent anticipate increased hiring, and 53 per cent plan to boost capital expenditure.

The SME Market Sentiment Index shows a positive momentum in business activity for the fourth quarter of financial year 2025 (Q4 FY2025) compared to previous quarter Q3 FY2025....