Core sector output growth slows further to 1.1% in June

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded at a low 1.1 per cent in July compared to the 3 per cent growth in June and the 2.7 per cent growth recorded in July 2014.

Core sector output growth, which gained momentum in May posting positive growth after registering negative growth in the previous months of March and April 2015, has again started showing signs of deceleration.

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 expanded at a rate of 2.1 per cent in April-June this year.

Coal production, which has a weight of 4.38 per cent in the IIP, increased by 0.3 per cent in July 2015. Cumulative production of coal during April-July 2015-16 increased by 5.7 per cent.

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP) declined by 0.4 per cent in July 2015 while cumulative production during April-July 2015-16 declined by 0.7 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Natural gas production (weight of 1.71 per cent in IIP) declined by 4.4 per cent in July 2015 while cumulative its production during April-July 2015-16 declined by 4.2 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 5.94 per cent in IIP) increased by 2.9 per cent in July 2015 while cumulative throughput during April-July 2015-16 increased by 3.9 per cent year-on-year.

Fertilizer production (weight of 1.25 per cent in IIP) increased by 8.6 per cent in July 2015 while cumulative production during April-July 2015-16 increased by 4.1 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Steel production (weight of 6.68 per cent) declined by 2.6 per cent in July 2015 while cumulative production of steel during April-July 2015-16 increased by 1.4 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Cement production (weight of 2.41 per cent in IIP) increased by 1.3 per cent in July, 2015 while cumulative production of cement during April-July 2015-16 increased by 1.0 per cent year-on-year.

Electricity generation (weight of 10.32 per cement of IIP) increased by 3.5 per cent in July 2015 while cumulative generation of electricity during April-July 2015-16 increased by 2.0 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.