New Delhi, March 5 -- Growth in India's services sector decreased marginally but remained stable in February, though new business expansion cooled to its slowest pace in over a year even as international sales picked up notably, according to the HSBC India Services PMI released by S&P Global on Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index slipped marginally to 58.1 in February from 58.5 in January. This means that it was manufacturing that buoyed up the composite PMI, which rose to 58.9 in February from 58.4 in January, the highest reading in three months. Manufacturing PMI was at a four-month high in February, according to data released on March 2. "India's Services PMI registered 58.1 in February, largely unchanged from January's 58.5, signalling another month of robust expansion in the sector," said Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC. "While new order growth slowed to a 13-month low amid rising competition, service providers saw a notable pick-up in international sales and responded with increased hiring to meet operational needs," she said. New business inflows, though still expanding, saw their pace of growth decline to a 13-month low. Firms noted that greater client enquiries and marketing efforts supported sales at some units, while others flagged an increasingly competitive environment as a drag on growth. Among sub-sectors, finance and insurance remained the standout performer, recording the fastest increases in both output and new orders. Stronger export momentum and upgraded output forecasts prompted service providers to step up hiring in February. On the price front, however, the picture was less comfortable. Input costs rose at the sharpest pace in two-and-a-half years, driven primarily by higher prices for food items, with additional pressure from energy, labour and commodities. Selling prices increased at a six-month high as firms passed on higher costs to clients....