Core sector output expands at a faster pace of 2.9% in January

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a faster pace of 2.9 per cent in January against a growth of 0.9 per cent in December 2015, extending the uptrend for a second month.

Output in the eight core sector industries comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity, and carry nearly 38 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), expanded by 1.8 per cent in January 2015.

Core sector output growth, which showed a volatile trend since April this year, recorded cumulative growth of 2.0 per cent in April-January this fiscal.

Coal production, which has a weight of 4.38 in the general index of industrial production (IIP) increased by 9.1 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative production of coal during April-January 2015-16 increased by 5.1 per cent year-on-year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP) decreased by 4.6 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative production of crude oil during April-January 2015-16 declined by 1.2 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Natural gas production (weight of 1.71 per cent in IIP) declined by 15.3 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative production during April-January 2015-16 declined by 4.0 per cent year-on-year.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 5.94 per cent in IIP) increased by 4.8 per cent in January 2016while cumulative production during April-January 2015-16 increased by 2.7 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Fertilizer production (weight of 1.25 per cent in IIP) increased by 6.2 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative production during April-January 2015-16 increased by 9.7 per cent year-on-year.
 
Steel production (weight of 6.68 per cent in IIP) declined by 2.8 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative production during April-January 2015-16 declined by 2.0 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Cement production (weight of 2.41 per cent in IIP) increased by 9.0 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative production during April-January 2015-16 increased by 3.0 per cent year-on-year.

Electricity generation (weight of 10.32 per cent in IIP) increased by 6.0 per cent in January 2016 while cumulative power production during April-January 2015-16 increased by 4.2 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.