SBI biz activity index at 1-mth low

Mumbai: SBI Business Activity Index declined to 101 as on January 17 from 109 as on January 10. This is lowest since November 15. Weekly arrival of vegetables, RTO revenue collection and apple mobility index declined significantly.

India has fully vaccinated 64 per cent of its eligible population and 89 per cent of its eligible population stands vaccinated with at least single dose. Currently India's vaccination 7-day MA is 70 lakh. Forty four lakh precaution doses and 3.45 crore doses to 15-18 age group has been administered. Rural vaccination share in total vaccination is now at 83 per cent in January indicating the rural populace may be largely protected in the current wave. New cases in Mumbai seem to have achieved its peak (20971 cases on January 07) but cases in other districts (Bengaluru and Pune) are showing increase in daily new numbers. So, if other districts also implement strict measures and control the spread, then national peak may come within 2-3 weeks after Mumbai peak.

New cases in top 15 districts have declined to 37.4 in January from 67.9 in December, however, 10 of the top 15 districts are major cities.

The overall share of rural districts in new cases has increased to 32.6 per cent in January from the lowest of 14.4 per cent in December. Rural percentage share in new cases is higher in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha and Rajasthan. However, percentage share in rural Vaccination to total vaccination is lower in Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Karnataka, says an internal economic research finding of SBI.

AP, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Telangana and Uttarakhand have already vaccinated more than 70 per cent of their eligible population with double doses. However, Punjab, UP and Jharkhand are still lagging. These states need to pick up pace, it adds.