Core sector ends fiscal with 6.4% growth in March

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a faster pace of 6.4 per cent in March 2016, against the 5.7 per cent growth in February and a 2.9 per cent growth in January this year.

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), had declined by 0.1 per cent in March 2015.

Core sector output growth, which showed a volatile trend since April 2015,  has shown an uptick since December last year, recording cumulative growth of 2.7 per cent during April-March 2015-16.

Production of coal, which has a weight of 4.38 per cent in the index of industrial production, increased by 1.7 per cent in March 2016 compared to March 2015. Cumulative coal production during April-March 2015-16 increased by 4.6 per cent year-on-year.

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP) decreased by 5.1 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative oil production during April-March 2015-16 was lower by 1.4 per cent compared to the previous year.

Production of natural gas (weight of 1.71 per cent in IIP) decreased by 10.5 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative gas production during April-March 2015-16 declined by 4.2 per cent.

Petroleum refinery throughput (weight of 5.94 per cent in IIP) increased by 10.8 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative refinery production during April-March 2015-16 increased by 3.8 per cent year-on-year.

Production of fertilisers (weight of 1.25 per cent in IIP) increased by 22.9 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative production of fertilisers during April-March 2015-16 increased by 11.3 per cent.

Steel production (weight of 6.68 per cent in IIP) increased by 3.4 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative steel production during April-March 2015-16 declined by 1.4 per cent.

Production of cement (weight of 2.41 per cent in IIP) increased by 11.9 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative production of cement during April-March 2015-16 increased by 4.6 per cent year-on-year.

Generation of electricity (weight of 10.32 per cent in IIP) increased by 11.3 per cent in March 2016 while cumulative generation of electricity during April-March 2015-16 increased by 5.2 per cent.