India’s core sector output expands at a faster pace of 5.2% in June

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a faster pace of 5.2 per cent in June 2016, against a slow 2.8 per cent growth in May 2016, but at a slower pace compared to the four-year high growth rate of 8.5 per cent recorded in April.

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), stood at 3.0 per cent in June 2015.

Core sector output growth, which showed positive growing in April, May and June this year, recorded cumulative growth of 5.4 per cent during April-June 2016-17.

Production of coal, which has a weight of 4.38 in the index of industrial production, increased by 12.0 per cent in June 2016. Cumulative coal production during April-May 2016-17 increased by 5.4 per cent year-on-year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 in IIP) decreased by 4.3 per cent in June 2016 awhile its cumulative production during April-June 2016-17 decreased by 3.3 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of natural gas (weight of 1.71 in IIP) decreased by 4.5 per cent in June 2016 while cumulative production of gas declined by 6.1 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 5.94 in IIP) increased by 3.5 per cent in June 2016 while its cumulative production in April-June 2016-17 increased by 7.1 per cent year-on-year.

Fertilizer production (weight of 1.25 in IIP) increased by 9.8 per cent in June 2016 while cumulative index during April-June 2016-17 increased by 11.0 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of steel (weight of 6.68 in IIP) increased by 2.4 per cent in June 2016 while cumulative steel production during April-June 2016-17 increased by 3.8 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Cement production (weight of 2.41 in IIP) increased by 10.3 per cent in June 2016 while its cumulative production during April-June 2016-17 increased by 5.7 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Electricity generation (weight of 10.32 in IIP) increased by 8.1 per cent in June 2016 while cumulative production during April-June 2016-17 increased by 9.0 per cent year-on-year.