India’s eight core sector growth improves to 1.8% in November

India’s eight key infrastructure sectors grew at a slower pace of 1.8% in November against 5.8% in the same month last year, according to official data released on Monday (December 22).

Coal production grew 2.1% in November, improving from a decline of -8.5% on a month-on-month basis. Crude oil production, however, remained in contraction at -3.2%, compared with -1.2% in the previous month.

Natural gas production declined 2.5% in November, compared with a fall of -5.0% in the prior month. Refinery products production also contracted by -0.9%, versus growth of 4.6% on a month-on-month basis.

Fertiliser production rose 5.6% in November, compared with 7.4% in the previous month. Steel production recorded growth of 6.1%, slightly higher than 5.9% in the prior month.

Cement production saw a sharp increase, growing 14.5% in November, compared with 5.2% in the previous month. Electricity production, however, declined by -2.2%, though this was an improvement from the -6.9% contraction recorded earlier.

The core sector or key infrastructure industries have a 40.27% of the weight in the overall index of industrial production (IIP).