January core output at 1.8%

The output had expanded 2.4% in December; crude oil and natural gas production drag numbers down

The annual infrastructure output growth slowed to more than a year's low of 1.8% in January, mainly dragged down by a sharp slowdown in crude oil and natural gas production, government data showed on Monday.

The output had expanded 2.4% in December and was 3.7% in January 2014.

This is likely to have a negative impact on the industrial growth numbers for the month, as these industries have a weight of 38 per cent on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

In April-January period the eight core industries grew 4.1%, against 4% in the corresponding period the previous year, official data showed on Monday.