BENGALURU, May 6 (Reuters) - India's services sector growth picked up in April after falling to a 14-month low in ‌March, driven by strong demand at home that offset slowing ‌global orders, but optimism about the year ahead fell on Middle East uncertainties, ​a survey showed on Wednesday.

• The HSBC India Services Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global, rose to 58.8 in April from 57.5 in March, higher than a preliminary estimate of 57.9. The index has ‌been above the 50.0 ⁠mark separating growth from contraction since mid-2021.

• Growth in new business - a gauge of demand - accelerated to ⁠the strongest pace in five months in April. Consumer services led the expansion in new orders and output, followed by transport, information and ​communication.

• However, ​international sales growth weakened to the ​second-slowest pace in more than ‌a year. Companies linked the slowdown to the Middle East war and subdued inbound tourism.

• Operating expenses rose at a softer pace in April, easing from an almost four-year high in March, yet remained steep on higher costs for food, gas and labour.

• Firms ‌appear to have absorbed much of ​the additional cost burden as selling prices ​rose only moderately and ​at the slowest pace in three months.

• Rising volumes ‌of new business boosted recruitment ​of short-term staff ​and junior-level trainees, with employment expanding at the strongest pace in 10 months.

• The overall composite PMI index, which tracks both ​manufacturing and services, ‌rose to 58.2 in April from 57.0, signalling an historically ​strong rate of expansion in private sector activity.

(Reporting by ​Shaloo Shrivastava; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)