Core sector production grows 5.2 per cent in June

Core sector industrial production in the country expanded 5.2 per cent in June 2011, helped by higher production of steel and improvements in power generation. Production growth in June 2011, however, was slightly lower than the 5.3 per cent growth logged in the previous month.

Core sector production had grown at a slower 4.4 per cent in June 2010.

The index of eight core sector industries (with base 2004-05), having a combined weight of 37.90 per cent in the index of industrial production (IIP), stood at 138.98 in June 2011.

Core sector industries, comprising coal, crude oil, natural gas, petroleum and refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity, recorded a growth of 5.0 per cent during the April-June quarter against 6.8 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year (2010-11).

Coal production, which has a weight of 4.38 per cent in the IIP, registered a negative growth of (-) 3.3 per cent in June 2011 compared to a growth of 0.8 per cent in June 2010. Coal production grew 0.2 per cent during April-June 2011-12 compared to a growth of (-) 0.6 during the corresponding period of 2010-11. 

Production of crude oil (weight of 5.22 per cent in IIP), however, grew at a higher rate of 7.7 per cent in June 2011 compared with a growth of 6.8 per cent in June 2010. Crude production had grown 9.5 per cent during April-June 2011-12 compared to 5.9 per cent during the same period of 2010-11.