Core sector output growth slowed to 4.6% in January

The output of eight key infrastructure sectors rose by 4.6% in January against a 4.2% expansion in the same month of last year, according to official data released on Friday (February 28, 2025).

The key infrastructure sectors’ output had expanded by 4.8% in December 2024.

In January this year, the production of crude oil and natural gas declined compared to the year-ago period.

Coal production rose by 4.6%, steel output by 3.7% and electricity generation by 1.3% in January 2025 against 10.6%, 9.2%, and 5.7%, respectively in January 2024.

However, refinery products, fertiliser, and cement output rose to 8.3%, 3% and 14.5% in the month under review.

The growth of core sectors - coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity - was 4.4% during April-January this fiscal. It was 7.8% in the same period last fiscal.

The eight core sectors contribute 40.27% to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which measures overall industrial growth.