India's monsoon rains forecast to be average in August, September

India is likely to receive an average amount of rain in August and September, the weather office said on Monday, pointing to overall good crop yields in Asia's third biggest economy that relies on farming to boost growth and generate jobs.

The state-run India Meteorological Department defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 89 cm (34 inches) for the four-month season beginning in June.

But some rice-growing states in India's east may receive below average monsoon rains, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the IMD, told a virtual news conference.