Core Sector Growth Slows to 9-Month Low of 0.7% in May
“Cement production grew by 9.2 per cent in May. Its cumulative index rose 7.8 per cent during April-May, 2025-26 over the corresponding period of a year ago. Steel production went up by 6.7 per cent. Its cumulative index increased by 5.5 per cent during April to May,” the data showed.
New Delhi: Eight core sectors’ growth slowed down to nine-months low of 0.7 pc in May against 6.9 pc in the same month last year. However, the previous low pace was recorded in August 2024 when the output had contracted by -1.5 per cent. During April-May this fiscal, the eight sectors expanded by 0.8 per cent against 6.9 per cent during the same period last fiscal, a government data showed on Friday.
The index of core industries reflects the combined and individual performance in terms of output by eight core industries — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity, which comprise 40.27 percent of the weight of items included in the index of industrial production (IIP).
In April this year, the growth in output of these key infrastructure sectors were recorded at 1 per cent. The output of four key infrastructure sectors — crude oil, natural gas, fertiliser and electricity — recorded a negative growth in May. “However, refinery products and cement output recorded a positive growth,” the data showed.
“Cement production grew by 9.2 per cent in May. Its cumulative index rose 7.8 per cent during April-May, 2025-26 over the corresponding period of a year ago. Steel production went up by 6.7 per cent. Its cumulative index increased by 5.5 per cent during April to May,” the data showed.
It further showed that steel production went up by 6.7 per cent. “Its cumulative index increased by 5.5 per cent during April to May. Coal production was up by 2.8 per cent in May, with its cumulative index rising by 3.1 per cent in April-May, while crude oil production fell by 1.8 per cent in May, also going down by 2.2 per cent during April-May compared to a year earlier,” it showed.
Natural gas output also fell by 3.6 per cent in May. “Its cumulative index went down by 2.3 per cent during April to May. Petroleum Refinery production rose by 1.1 per cent. Its cumulative index declined by 1.7 per cent during April to May, 2025-26 over the corresponding period of the previous year. Fertilizer output fell by 5.9 per cent in May. For April-May, however, its index slowed by 5.1 per cent,” it showed.
