Jan core sector growth sharply rises to 6.7%; cement, refinery output zoom

The core sectors' cumulative growth rate for the April-January 2017 period was 4.3%

Eight infrastructure sectors grew a faster pace of 6.7 per cent in January against 3.4 per cent in the year-ago month as petroleum refinery and cement output zoomed while steel power and coal production improved.

The eight core sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity -- had grew by 4.2 per cent in December and 7.4 per cent in November this financial year.

Petroleum refinery production spurted 11 per cent in January against a flat output in the year-ago month. Cement output jumped 20.7 per cent in the month against 13.3