Eight core sectors expand by 8% in Sept

Eight infrastructure industries have posted a growth rate of 8 per cent for September on account of good performance by crude oil, steel and electricity sectors.
The growth rate is higher than the previous month, August 2013, when these sectors grew by 3.7 per cent.
However, it is lower than 8.3 per cent that was recorded in September 2012, according to the official data released here today.
The core industries, which also include coal, natural gas, refinery products and crude oil, with a weight of about 38 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), have grown at 3.2 per cent during the April-September period of this fiscal, 2013-14, compared to 2.3 per cent in the first six months of 2012-13.

Crude oil, steel and electricity output grew by 0.6 per cent, 6.6 per cent and 12.6 per cent respectively in the month under review.
However, coal production growth rate slowed to 12.5 per cent, while natural gas output dipped (-) 14.1 per cent.
Growth in petroleum refinery products declined to 8 per cent during the month, as against 34.9 per cent in September 2012. Fertiliser and cement production growth also slowed to 5.3 per cent and 11.5 per cent.