Core sector growth falls to 1.8% in January
28 Feb 2019
Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a slower pace of 1.8 per cent in January 2019 against a faster 6.7 per cent growth recorded in January 2018.
Output in the eight core sector industries comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity, which carry nearly 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grew 4.5 per cent in April-January 2018-19, official data showed.
Expansion of the key sector was slackened by a decline in the production of crude oil and chemical fertilisers and sluggish performance in natural gas production and petroleum refinery output.
Production of coal, which has a weight of 10.33per cent in the general index of industrial production (IIP) increased by 1.7 per cent in January 2019 while cumulative coal production increased by 7.1 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Production of crude oil (weight of 8.98 per cent in IIP) declined by 4.3 per cent in January 2019 while cumulative production of crude oil declined by 3.8 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Production of natural gas (weight of 6.88 per cent in IIP) increased by 6.2 per cent in January 2019 while cumulative production of natural gas increased by 0.5 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Petroleum refinery production (weight of 28.04 per cent in IIP) declined by 2.6 per cent in January 2019 while cumulative refinery output increased by 3.4 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Production of fertilizers (weight of 2.63 per cent in IIP) increased by 10.5 per cent in January while cumulative production of fertilisers declined by 0.3 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Production of steel (weight of 17.92 per cent in IIP) increased by 8.2 per cent in January 2019 while cumulative production of fertilisers increased by 5.0 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Production of cement (weight of 5.37 per cent in IIP) increased by 11.0 per cent in January 2019 while cumulative cement production increased by 13.6 per cent during April-January 2018-19.
Electricity generation (weight of 19.85 per cent in IIP) declined by 0.4per cent in January 2019 while cumulative generation of electricity increased by5.7 per cent during April-January 2018-19.