Core sector output growth at a 6-month high of 4.4% in May

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded by 4.4 per cent in May, the highest growth rate in the past six months, on the back of an upsurge in the production of coal and refinery products.

Core sector output growth had shown a negative trend, growing at (-) 0.4 per cent in April against a growth rate of (-) 0.1 per cent in March 2015 and 1.4 per cent in February 2015.

The eight core sector industries comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity had expanded at a rate of 3.8 per cent in May 2014.

The growth of the core sector industries in May 2015 was driven by healthy output of coal (7.8 per cent), refinery products (7.9 per cent) and electricity generation (5.5 per cent).

The combined production of the eight core sector industries, which carry nearly 38 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in April-May 2014 was lower at 2.1 per cent.

Coal production, which has a weight of  4.38 per cent in IIP, increased by 7.8 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 increased by 7.9 per cent.

Crude oil production (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP) increased by 0.8 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 declined by 1.0 per cent.

Production of natural gas (weight of 1.71 per cent in IIP) declined by 3.1 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 declined by 3.3 per cent.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 5.94 per cent in IIP) increased by 7.9 per cent in May 2015 whil4e its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 increased by 2.6 per cent.

Fertilizer production (weight of 1.25 per cent in IIP) increased by 1.3 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 increased by 0.7 per cent.

Steel production (weight of 6.68 per cent in IIP) increased by 2.6 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 increased by 1.7 per cent.

Cement production (weight of 2.41 per cent in IIP) increased by 2.6 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 decreased by 0.1 per cent.

Electricity generation (weight of 10.32 per cent in IIP) increased by 5.5 per cent in May 2015 while its cumulative production during April-May 2015-16 increased by 2.2 per cent.