Core sector growth slows to 1.8 pc in Jul

The growth in key infrastructure industries was 8.2 per cent in the same month last year. The previous lowest expansion was 0.4 per cent in October last year.

For the April-July period, the growth has slowed to 3.2 per cent from 6 per cent in the same period last year, according to official data released today.

Natural gas and crude oil production contracted by (-) 13.5 per cent and (-) 0.7 per cent, respectively in July.

Fertiliser output also shrunk by (-) 2.2 per cent in the month under review.

Steel and coal production slowed to 4.5 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively. In the comparable month, it was 16.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent in that order.

Cement, petroleum refinery and electricity output slowed to 3.8 per cent, 3.6 per cent and 2.2 per cent against 13 per cent, 3.7 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

The eight core sector industries have a weight of 37.9 per cent in the overall Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The growth in core sector industries in May and June, too, had moderated to 4 per cent and 3.6 per cent from 5.9 per cent and 5.6 per cent.