ROME—Italy’s business lobby Confindustria said on Saturday the country’s growth this year would be more robust than expected, mainly due to a more contained impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant and stronger-than-expected economic indicators. In a report, the association’s research unit CSC forecast gross domestic product (GDP) would rise 6.1 percent this year and 4.1 percent next year, going above pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2022. In April, the research unit had said Italy’s GDP would be up 4.1 percent in 2021. Its forecasts for this year are now just above the 6 percent expected by the national unity government lead by Mario Draghi. Last year, the COVID-hit economy contracted by 8.9 percent, the steepest recession in Italy’s post-war history. The firm pick-up now in place is seen resulting in lower-than-expected public deficit and debt ratios this year. The CSC report cautioned that, starting from the last quarter …