Growth of core infra sectors slows down to 2.1 pc in July

The growth of eight core industries declined to 2.1 per cent against 7.3 per cent growth in the same period of last year, the government data released on Monday showed.

However, the growth of the eight sectors was marginally better as compared to a month earlier when it touched a 50-month low of 0.7 per cent.

During April to July, the output rose by 3 per cent from the year-ago period, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

"The combined index of eight core industries stood at 131.9 in July 2019 which was 2.1 per cent higher as compared to the index of July 2018," it said.

Infrastructure output which comprises eight sectors such as coal, crude oil, and electricity accounts for nearly 40 per cent of India's industrial output.

As per data, fertilisers production increased by 1.5 per cent in July 2019 over July 2018. Steel production too saw an increase of 6.6 per cent year-on-year.

Cement and electricity sectors jumped 7.9 per cent and 4.2 per cent year-on-year. But coal, crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum refinery production declined in the same period.