Mumbai, Oct. 6 -- Operating conditions across India's service economy remained favorable in September, with healthy demand trends underpinning further growth of total new orders, exports, employment and business activity. In all four cases, however, rates of expansion eased since August.

Encouragingly, a softer increase in expenses helped curtail charge inflation. Moreover, confidence towards the year ahead outlook for output strengthened.

At 60.9 in September, the seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index was well above the neutral mark of 50.0 to signal another substantial upturn in output. Falling from 62.9 in August, however, the latest figure showed a loss of growth momentum.

External sales still rose in ...