Core sector output barely grows at 0.4% in June

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a marginal 0.4 per cent year-on-year in June, against a comparatively faster pace of 3.6 per cent in May, held down by lower production across most industries.

In June last year, thr core sector output had grown at a faster pace of 5.2 per cent.

Output in the eight core sector industries comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity, which carry nearly 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), expanded at a cumulative 2.4 per cent in April-June 2017-18.

Effective April 2017, the base year of the index of eight core industries has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12, which is in line with the new base year of Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

Production of coal, which has a weight of 10.33 per cent in the general index of industrial production (IIP), declined by 6.7 per cent in June 2017, while cumulative production of coal declined by 4.4 per cent during April-June 2017-18.

Production of crude oil, which has a weight of 8.98 per cent in IIP, increased by 0.6 per cent in June 2017 while its cumulative production in April-June 2017-18 increased by 0.2 per cent.

Production of natural gas (weight of 6.88 percent in IIP) increased by 6.4 percent in June 2017 while its cumulative production increased by 4.3 per cent during April- June 2017-18.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 28.04 per cent in IIP) declined by 0.2 per cent in June 2017 while its cumulative production increased by 1.8 per cent during April-June 2017-18.

Fertilizer production (weight of 2.63 percent in IIP) declined by 3.6 per cent in June 2017 while its cumulative production declined by 1.9 per cent during April-June 2017-18.

Steel production (weight of 17.92 per cent in IIP) increased by 5.8 per cent in June 2017 while its cumulative production increased by 6.2 percent during April-June 2017-18.

Cement production (weight of 5.37 per cent in IIP) declined by 5.8 per cent in June 2017 while its cumulative production declined by 2.9 percent during April-June 2017-18.

Electricity generation (weight of 19.85 per cent in IIP) increased by 0.7 per cent in June 2017 while its cumulative production increased by 4.9 per cent during April- June 2017-18.