Crude, refinery output prop up infrastructure growth in July

India's infrastructure output grew 3.9 per cent in July, compared to 3.2 per cent in the same month last year and marginally higher than annual growth of 3.6 per cent in June, government data released on Friday showed.

The six core industries - crude oil, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel registered a 4.5 per cent growth during the first four months of this fiscal as against 4 per cent in April-July, 2009-10, according to the commerce and industry ministry data.

These six segments account for 26.68 per cent of the country's total industrial output.

Crude oil and refinery output grew in double digits in July, while production of cement and finished steel dipped, the data showed. Crude oil production grew by 15.8 per cent in July, while refinery output expanded by 13.7 per cent. However, cement production contracted by 0.2 per cent and finished steel output by 0.9 per cent year-on-year.

The electricity sector grew 3.8 per cent, the same as the year-ago period. Growth in coal slowed to 4.5 percent in July compared with 10.5 per cent a year ago.

During April-July, infrastructure output rose 4.5 percent compared with 4 percent a year ago. Infrastructure growth has been slowing from 9.5 per cent in January, but analysts expect growth to pick up over the next few months.