Core sector output growth accelerates to 5.2% in September

Core sector industrial production growth accelerated steadily to 5.2 per cent in September 2017, up from 4.9 per cent in the previous month, 2.7 cent in July and a marginal 0.4 per cent in June this year.

Core sector output was boosted by higher production of coal, natural gas and fertiliser in September this year.

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 3.3 per cent in April-September 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)

Coal production, which has a weight of 10.33 per cent in the general index of industrial production (IIP), increased by 10.6 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative coal production increased by 1.5 per cent during April-September 2017-18 over corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 8.98 per cent in IIP) increased by 0.1 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative production in April-September 2017-18 declined by 0.2 per cent.

Production of natural gas (weight of 6.88 per cent in IIP) increased by 6.3 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative production of natural gas increased by 5.0 per cent during April-September 2017-18.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 28.04 per cent in IIP) increased by 8.1 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative refinery production increased by 2.1 per cent during April-September 2017-18.

Fertilizer production (weight of 2.63 per cent in IIP) declined by 7.7 per cent in September 2017 while its cumulative production declined by 2.1 per cent during April-September 2017-18.

Steel production (weight of 17.92 per cent of IIP) increased by 3.7 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative production of steel increased by 5.5 per cent during April-September 2017-18.

Cement production (weight of 5.37 per cent in IIP) increased by 0.1 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative production of steel declined by 1.9 per cent during April-September 2017-18.

Electricity generation (weight of 19.85 per cent in IIP) increased by 5.2 per cent in September 2017 while cumulative generation of electricity increased by 6.0 per cent during April-September 2017-18.