Core sector expands 0.9% in December, reverses November fall

Core sector industrial production in the country recorded a growth of 0.9 per cent in December 2015, reversing a 1.3 per cent year-on-year decline in November production growth.

Output in the eight core sector industries comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity, and carry nearly 38 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), expanded by 0.9 per cent in December 2015.

Core sector output growth, which showed a volatile trend since April this year, recorded cumulative growth of 1.9 per cent in April-December this fiscal.

Coal production, which has a weight of 4.38 per cent in the IIP, increased by 6.1 per cent in December 2015 while cumulative production during April-December 2015-16 increased by 4.6 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP) decreased by 4.1 per cent in December 2015 while cumulative production during April-December 2015-16 decreased by 0.8 per cent

Natural gas production (weight of 1.71 per cent in IIP) declined by 6.1 per cent in December 2015 while its cumulative production during April-December 2015-16 declined by 2.7 per cent.

Refinery production (weight of 5.94 per cent in IIP) increased by 2.1 per cent in December 2015 while cumulative refinery production during April-December 2015-16 increased by 2.4 per cent.

Fertilizer production (weight of 1.25 per cent in IIP) increased by 13.1 per cent in December 2015 while its cumulative production during April-December 2015-16 increased by 10.1 per cent.

Steel production (weight of 6.68 per cent in IIP) declined by 4.4 per cent in December 2015 while cumulative production of steel during April-December 2015-16 declined by 1.9 per cent.

Cement production (weight of 2.41 per cent in IIP) increased by 3.2 per cent in December 2015 while its cumulative production during April-December 2015-16 increased by 2.2 per cent.

Electricity generation (weight of 10.32 per cent) increased by 2.7 per cent in December 2015 while cumulative generation of electricity during April-December 2015-16 increased by 4.0 per cent.