The introduction of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) has pushed down activity in the services sector to a nearly four-year low in July even as manufacturing activity reels at an eight-and-a half-year low. The widely-tracked Nikkei Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) on Thursday showed that PMI for the dominating sector of the Indian economy plunged to 45.9, its lowest level since September 2013.

At an eight-month high, PMI had been 53.1 in the previous month of June. ALSO READ: India's June services PMI grows to 8-month high on new orders The 50-point mark ...