The recent global economic recession has hampered the development of the industrial sector to a large extent, including that of key manufacturing industries and numerous other sub-sectors. However, there has been a concerted effort on the part of several governments to resolve the crisis which has helped to make the situation more conducive for industrial growth.

With regard to individual sectors, there has been a marked improvement in the market for investment goods, with increasing demand for replacement of ageing machinery and older vehicle spare parts. On the other hand, construction activity tends to be low mainly due to unavailability of robust financing options. The electronics and computer industry continues to emit mixed signals. While sales of personal computers have been consistently low, there is rising demand for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The production of engineering and metal goods has however, been slowly picking up pace as company balance sheets improve and there is more access to finance.