Core sector growth slows to 2.1% in July compared to 7.3% last year

During April-July, output rose 3% from the year-ago period, according to the data

Growth of eight core industries dropped to 2.1 per cent in July, mainly due to contraction in coal, crude oil and natural gas production, according to a government data released on Monday.

The eight core sector industries -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity -- had expanded by 7.3 per cent in July last year.

These core industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

Ouput of coal, crude oil, natural gas and refinery products recorded negative growth during the month under review.

Similarly, growth rate in production