<h1>Manufacturing PMI jumps to 59.2 in October; GST reform, demand and investment drive output and hiring</h1> A monthly industry survey reported acceleration in manufacturing activity in October, citing domestic demand, Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform and investment as drivers; the PMI rose to 59.2 from 57.7. Firms increased new orders, inventories and hiring, while export growth softened and input-cost inflation remained near a multi-year high. Companies attributed stronger future sentiment to expected GST changes, capacity expansion, marketing and anticipated approval of pending contracts. Legal implications include regulatory risk and compliance considerations from GST reform, potential contract-approval bottlenecks, and pricing pass-through and employment obligations arising from rising costs and sustained output growth.