India’s core sector industrial production grows 3.8% in December

Core sector industrial production in India increased at a slower pace of 3.8 per cent in December 2023 against a robust 7.8 per cent in November, provisional figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed.

The combined index of the eight core sector industries comprising coal, electricity, fertilisers, natural gas, refinery products and steel, having a weight of 40.27 per cent in the index of industrial production (IIP), recorded an 8.1 per cent increase in April-December 2023. 

Production of cement, which has a weight of 5.37 per cent in the index, increased by 1.3 per cent year-on-year in December 2023 while its cumulative production increased by 8.2 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Coal production (weight of 10.33 per cent) increased by 10.6 per cent in December 2023 while cumulative coal production increased by 12.5 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Production of crude oil (weight of 8.98 per cent) decreased by 1.0 per cent in December 2023 while its cumulative production declined by 0.3 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Electricity generation (weight of 19.85 per cent) increased by 0.6 per cent in December 2023 while cumulative crude production increased by 6.9 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Fertiliser production (weight of 2.63 per cent) increased by 5.8 per cent in December 2023 while its cumulative production increased by 6.2 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Production of natural gas (weight: 6.88 per cent) increased by 6.6 per cent in December 2023 while cumulative production of natural gas increased by 5.6 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 28.04 per cent) increased by 2.6 per cent in December 2023 while its cumulative production increased by 4.7 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

Steel production (weight of 17.92 per cent) increased by 5.9 per cent in December 2023 while cumulative steel production increased by 13.3 per cent during April-December 2023-24.

The final growth rate of core sector production in August 2023 stands revised to 9.4 per cent while its cumulative growth rate during April-November 2023-24 stands at 8.1 per cent, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).