Core sector output growth edges up to 2.2% in December
28 Feb 2020
Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a slightly higher rate of 2.2 per cent in January 2020 against the 1.3 per cent growth recorded in December 2019. But, with production growth remaining in the negative for the period August-November 2019, cumulative core sector production growth during April-January 2019-20 stood at 0.6 per cent.
Expansion 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), was dragged down by a decline in the production of crude oil, natural gas and fertilisers.
Production of coal, which has a weight of 10.33 per cent in the index of industrial production (II), increased by 8 per cent in January while cumulative coal production declined by 2.4 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Production of crude oil (weight of 8.98 per cent in IIP) declined by 5.3 per cent in January 2020 while cumulative crude production declined by 6.0 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Production of natural gas (weight of 6.88 per cent in IIP) declined by9.1 per cent in January 2020 while cumulative production of natural gas declined by 4.3 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Petroleum refinery production (weight of 28.04 per cent in IIP) increased by1.9 per cent in January 2020, while cumulative refinery throughput declined by 0.4 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Fertilisers production (weight of 2.63 per cent in IIP) declined by 0.1 per cent in January 2020 while cumulative production of fertilisers increased by 4.2 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Steel production (weight of 17.92 per cent in IIP) increased by 2.2 per cent in January 2020 while cumulative steel production increased by 5.3 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Cement production (weight of 5.37 per cent in IIP) increased by 5.0 per cent in January 2020 while cumulative cement production increased by 1.1 per cent during April-January 2019-20.
Electricity generation (weight of 19.85 per cent in IIP) increased by2.8 per cent in January 2020 while its cumulative production increased by 0.9 per cent during April-January 2019-20.