BENGALURU: India's services sector growth picked up in April after falling to a 14-month ​low in March, ⁠driven by strong demand at home that offset slowing global ‌orders, but optimism about the year ahead fell on Middle East uncertainties, ​a survey showed on Wednesday.

* The HSBC India Services Purchasing Managers' ​Index , compiled by ​S&P Global, rose to 58.8 in April from 57.5 in March, higher than a preliminary estimate of 57.9. ⁠The index has been above the 50.0 mark separating growth from contraction since mid-2021.

* Growth in new business - a gauge of demand - accelerated to the strongest pace in five months in April. ​Consumer services led ‌the expansion ⁠in new orders ⁠and output, followed by transport, information and communication.

* However, international sales growth ​weakened to the second-slowest pace in more ‌than a year. Companies linked the slowdown ⁠to the Middle East war and subdued inbound tourism.

* Operating expenses rose at a softer pace in April, easing from an almost four-year high in March, yet remained steep on higher costs for food, gas and labour.

* Firms appear to have absorbed much of the additional cost burden as selling prices rose only moderately and at the slowest pace in ‌three months.

* Rising volumes of new business boosted ⁠recruitment of short-term staff and junior-level trainees, with ​employment expanding at the strongest pace in 10 months.

* The overall composite PMI index, which tracks both manufacturing and services, rose to ​58.2 in ‌April from 57.0, signalling an historically strong rate ⁠of expansion in private sector ​activity. (Reporting by Shaloo Shrivastava; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)