Core sector grows by 2.2% in January as power generation picks up

Eight core industries recorded a 2.2 per cent growth in January helped by expansion in the production of coal, refinery products and electricity, official data released on Friday showed.

The infrastructure sectors had expanded by 1.5 per cent in January 2019.

The production of coal, refinery products and electricity grew by 8 per cent, 1.9 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively.

Sectors which recorded negative growth during the month under review are crude oil, natural gas, and fertiliser.

During the April-January period, core industries growth slowed down to 0.6 per cent against 4.4 per cent in the year-ago period.

The eight core sectors recorded negative growth from August 2019 to November 2019.