India's crown is slipping: It can no longer claim to be the fastest growing major economy in the world.
The annual rate of growth slumped to 6.1% in the quarter ended March 31, down from 7% in the previous quarter.
That was much weaker than economists had forecast and means India has again fallen behind China, which recorded growth of 6.9% in the same quarter.
Indian government figures released Wednesday showed that growth for the 2016-17 fiscal year slowed to 7.1%, from 8% the year before.
Related: Women are missing out on India's economic boom
The weaker GDP numbers suggest Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to scrap 86% of India's paper currency late last year might have halted India's economic boom in its tracks.
In a bid to crack down on tax evaders, Modi abruptly banned all 500 and 1,000 rupee notes -- the two largest denominations at the time -- on Nov. 8.
The surprise move jolted the cash-dependent economy and brought several major sectors grinding to a halt.
The crisis took a small bite out of growth in the quarter through December. Now it looks like the impact of the cash ban may finally be showing up in official data.
