India's core sector industrial growth slows to 5.2 per cent in March

Core sector industrial production in the country slackened to 5.2 per cent (provisional) in April 2011 against the 7.4 per cent (provisional) growth recorded in March 2011 and the 7.5 per cent growth recorded in April 2010.

The index of production of the six core sector industries with base (1993-94=100) stood at 276.5 (provisional) in April 2011.

The six core sector industries comprising crude oil, petroleum refinery, coal, electricity, cement and steel recorded a growth of 5.8 per cent (provisional) during April-March 2010-11 against 5.5 per cent during the previous financial year.

The six core sector industries, which have a combined weight of 26.7 per cent in the index of industrial production (IIP), continued to remain on a higher growth path except for the slight dip in January.

Production of crude oil, which has a weight of 4.17 per cent in the IIP, posted a growth of 11 per cent (provisional) in April 2011 against a growth rate of 5.1 per cent in April 2010. Crude oil production had grown 11.9 per cent (provisional) during April-March 2010-11 compared to the 0.5 per cent growth during the 2009-10 financial year.

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 2 per cent in IIP) recorded a growth of 6.6 per cent (provisional) in April 2011 compared to the 5.3 per cent growth in April 2010. Petroleum refinery production registered a growth of 3 per cent (provisional) during April-March 2010-11 against a negative (-) 0.4 per cent growth recorded during the same period of 2009-10.