Core sector output growth slows to 4.9% in November from 6.6% in October

Production growth in India's core industrial sector slowed to 4.9 per cent in November 2016 from levels of 6.6 per cent in October on the back of a sharp fall in crude oil and natural gas production, preliminary figures released by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) showed.

Core sector industrial production had declined by 1.3 per cent year-on-year in November 2015.

Output in the eight core sector industries comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity, which carry nearly 38 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), expanded at a cumulative 4.9 per cent in April-November this fiscal.

Coal production, which has a weight of 4.38 per cent in the general index of industrial production (IIP), increased by 6.4 per cent in November 2016. Cumulative production of coal during April-November 2016-17 increased by 1.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP) declined by 5.4 per cent in November 2016 while cumulative production of crude oil during April-November 2016-17 declined by 3.5 per cent year-on-year.

Production of natural gas (weight of 1.71 per cent in IIP) declined by 1.7 per cent in November 2016 while its cumulative production during April-November 2016-17 declined by 3.7 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 5.94 per cent in IIP) increased by 2.0 per cent in November 2016 while its cumulative production during April-November 2016-17 increased by 8.0 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Fertiliser production (weight of 1.25 per cent) increased by 2.4 per cent in November 2016 while its cumulative production during April-November 2016-17 increased by 4.5 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of steel (weight of 6.68 per cent in IIP) increased by 5.6 per cent in November 2016 while its cumulative production during April-November 2016-17 increased by 8.2 per cent.

Cement production (weight of 2.41 per cent in IIP) increased by 0.5 per cent in November 2016 while its cumulative production during April-November 2016-17 increased by 4.3 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Electricity generation (weight of 10.32 per cent in IIP) increased by 10.2 per cent in November 2016 while cumulative electricity generation during April-November 2016-17 increased by 5.4 per cent year-on-year.