At 4.6% in Feb, core industries show sharpest contraction in six months

The output of eight infrastructure sectors contracted by 4.6 per cent in February as compared to a revised growth of 0.9% in January. All the core segments, including coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and fertilisers witnessed a decline in February, according to official data released on Wednesday. This is the sharpest contraction in six months. 

The growth rate of the eight infrastructure sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity -- stood at 6.4 per cent in February 2019.

Coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity production recorded negative growth of 4.4 per cent, 3.2 per cent, 1 per cent, 10.9 per cent, 3.7 per cent, 1.8 per cent, 5.5 per cent, and 0.2 per cent, respectively in February, the data showed.

According to Commerce and Industry Ministry data, during April-February 2020-21, the eight sectors' growth declined by 8.3 per cent as compared to (+) 1.3 per cent in same period of the previous fiscal.