Output of eight core sectors hit a four-month high of 7.8% in January 2022

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Production of eight infrastructure sectors expanded at a four-month high of 7.8% in January 2023, from 7% in December 2022, led by a sharp 18% uptick in fertiliser production and double-digit growth in coal mining and electricity generation.

The output of core sectors had increased by 4% in January 2022 and by 7% in December 2022.

For the second successive month, all core infrastructure sectors, except crude oil, registered growth in output from a year ago. Crude oil production contracted 1.1%, marking the eighth month in a row that output shrank year-on-year.

Steel and cement production grew 6.2% and 4.6%, respectively, in January 2023, but marked the slowest growth rate for both sectors in three months.

The growth rate of eight infrastructure sectors — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity — stood at 7.9% in April-January this fiscal as against 11.6% during the same period last fiscal.

Core sector or key infrastructure industries, which have a 40.27% weight in the overall index of industrial production (IIP), would have a bearing on industrial production data for the month.

(With inputs from PTI)