Core sector output grows at 2.4% in July

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a relatively faster pace of 2.7 cent year-on-year in July 2017 against the marginal 0.4 per cent growth recorded in June this year on the back of better show in steel production, which increased by 9.2 per cent in July this year.

A 6.6 per cent growth in the production of natural gas and a 5.4 per cent growth in electricity generation also aided the buoyancy in core sector output growth.

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), expanded at a cumulative 2.5 per cent in April-July 2017-18.

Effective April 2017, the base year of the index of eight core industries has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12, which is in line with the new base year of Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

Production of coal, which has a weight of 10.33 per cent in the general index of industrial production (IIP), increased by 0.7 per cent year-on-year in July 2017. Cumulative production of coal during April-July 2017-18 declined by 3.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 8.98 in IIP) decreased by 0.5 per cent in July 2017 while cumulative production of crude oil increased by 0.05 per cent during April-July 2017-18.

Production of natural gas (weight of 6.88 per cent in IIP) increased by 6.6 per cent in July 2017 while its cumulative production increased by 4.9 per cent during April-July 2017-18.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 28.04 per cent in IIP) declined by 2.7 per cent in July 2017 while cumulative output of refineries increased by 0.7 per cent during April-July 2017-18.

Fertilizer production (weight of 2.63 per cent in IIP) declined by 0.3 per cent in July 2017 while its cumulative production declined by 1.5 per cent during April- July, 2017-18.

Steel production (weight of 17.92 per cent in IIP) increased by 9.2 per cent in July 2017 while cumulative production of steel increased by 6.9 per cent during April-July 2017-18.

Cement production (weight of 5.37 per cent in IIP), however, declined by 2.0 per cent in July2017 while cumulative cement production declined by 3.5 per cent during April-July 2017-18.

Electricity generation (weight of 19.85 per cent in IIP) increased by 5.4 per cent in July 2017 while cumulative generation of electricity increased by 5.4 per cent during April-July 2017-18.