Eight Core Industries' index falls by 0.4 percent in April

The Eight Core Industries (ECI) which comprise 37.91 percent of the total weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) fell by 0.4 percent in April 2015 at 162.4 compared to April 2014.

It is the second consecutive month it has fallen. The ECI index registered a negative at 0.1 percent in March 2015.

The index's cumulative growth during 2014-15 was 3.6 percent.

Electricity generation, commanding the highest weightage at 10.32 percent, declined by 1.1 percent in April, 2015. Its cumulative index during 2014-15 increased by 8.1 percent over the previous fiscal.

Steel production, the second most important component as per weightage, increased by 0.6 percent in April 2015. The collective index during 2014-15 increased by 0.8 percent in comparison to the previous fiscal.

Production of crude oil, the third most important component as per weightage given, declined by 2.7 percent in April 2015 over April 2014. During the fiscal, its cumulative index declined by 0.9 percent over the previous fiscal.

Coal, which has a 4.38 percent weightage in ECI, increased by 7.9 percent in April this year in comparison to the corresponding month in 2014. Its cumulative index during the fiscal increased by 8.4 percent over the previous period.

Cement production, having a weightage of 2.41 percent, declined by 2.4 percent in April 2015. Its cumulative index during the fiscal increased by 5.7 percent over last fiscal.

Production of natural gas, having a weightage of 1.71 percent, declined by 3.6 percent in the month under consideration. Its cumulative index during the last fiscal declined by 5.2 percent in comparison with 2013-14.

Fertilisers and petroleum refinery production also declined by 0.04 and 2.9 percent during April 2015. The collective index for fertilisers declined by 0.1 percent while the same grew by 0.4 percent for petroleum refinery production during 2014-15.