Core sector grows 4.5% in February

Healthy output of electricity, coal and crude oil has helped in pushing the core sector growth to 4.5% in February from 1.3% in the same month a year ago.

The Index of eight core industries grew 1.6% in January this year.

The eight core industries -- fertilisers, cement, steel, electricity, crude oil, coal, petroleum refinery products and natural gas -- have a combined weight of about 38% in the Index of Industrial Production.

However, the core sector growth was slowed down to 2.6% during the April-February period of this financial year compared with 6.4% in the same period of 2012-13.

Electricity generation grew exponentially by 10.4% in the month under review as against (-) 3.7% in February 2013.

Output of coal and crude oil registered a growth of 0.1% and 1.9% against (-) 6.1% and (-) 4%, respectively.

Steel production recorded a marginal growth of 4.8%, while the expansion in cement production slowed to 2.3%. Natural gas registered a negative growth of 4.4% and refinery products generation expanded 3.2%.

Showing a ray of hope, industrial output entered positive territory and recorded a 0.1% growth in January after contracting for three months in a row.