New Delhi: India's industrial production maintained a double-digit growth at 11 per cent in February, higher than the 8.8 per cent growth rate in the same month last year. However the figure represented a steady deceleration over the previous four months.

The industrial production growth rate declined for the fourth consecutive month - from 15.82 per cent in November to 12.51 per cent in December and further to 11.43 per cent in January.

The power sector remained a laggard growing by 3.3 per cent, compared with 9.1 per cent in February 2006. The consumer durables sector also grew at the rate of only 1.1 per cent, sharply down from over 20 per cent in the same month last year.

The overall growth rate in industrial output during April-February 2006-07 was at 11.1 per cent, compared with 8.1 per cent growth rate in the same period in 2005-06.

According to the Central Statistical Organisation, which released the data, the manufacturing sector's output increased 12.3 per cent in February, compared with 9.3 per cent a year ago, while mining grew 6.3 per cent, compared with 3.8 per cent a year ago.

In sharp contrast to the low growth rate of the consumer durables sector, the consumer non-durables sector registered a growth rate of 9.7 per cent in February, compared with a growth rate of 10.1 per cent in February, 2006.