Core infrastructure industries output up 3.9% in July

Output of core infrastructure industries expanded by 3.9 per cent in July, as compared to 3.2 per cent in the same month last year, according to data released by the government today.

The six core industries -- crude oil, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel -- registered a 4.5 per cent growth during the first four months of this fiscal as against 4 per cent in April-July, 2009-10, data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry said.

These six segments account for 26.68 per cent of the country's total industrial output.

While crude oil and petroleum refinery output witnessed high growth in July, production of cement and finished steel dipped, the data showed. Crude oil production grew by 15.8 per cent in July, while refinery output expanded by 13.7 per cent.

However, cement production contracted by 0.2 per cent and finished steel output by 0.9 per cent year-on-year.

Coal output slowed to 4.5 per cent against a robust growth of 10.5 per cent in July, 2009. Electricity generation grew by 3.8 per cent in July, 2010, the same rate as the corresponding month of the previous year.

The growth of the core infrastructure sector has been revised upwards to 3.6 per cent for June from the earlier provisional estimate of 3.4 per cent.