New Delhi: In the face of a gloomy economy at home and global crisis abroad, the lowly services sector proved a savior with the backward Northeast region registering the highest growth in this segment, the much-awaited Economic Survey released on Thursday said.

The Economic Survey for 2011-12 tabled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament, on the eve of presentation of the general Budget, projected a 7.6 per cent growth for the next fiscal.