Indian economy sees lowest quarterly growth in 5 years

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Chinese media) -- India's economy registered a 5.3 percent

growth from October to December last year, the lowest quarterly growth in five

years, said the semi-official Press Trust of India on Friday.

This is in contrast to an 8.9 percent growth rate in the same period of

2007.

Manufacturing dropped by 0.2 percent in the last quarter last year, while

agriculture fell by 2.2 percent, said the report.

In the first nine months of the current fiscal year, from April to December

last year, the economy grew by 6.9 percent, compared with 9 percent in the same

period of 2007, said the report.

The current fiscal year will end on March 31.

The Indian government expects growth in the current fiscal year to attain

7.1 percent despite the economic slowdown.