Hit by supply constraints, infrastructure industries put up a dismal performance in November 2007 — a month that saw growth plummeting to 5.3 per cent from 9.6 per cent a year ago — with crude petroleum becoming the weakest link among the key sectors.

Impacted by sluggish increase in output since September, the cumulative expansion for April-November period of current fiscal also declined to 6 per cent as compared to 8.9 per cent in the corresponding months of fiscal year 2007.

IIP weightage

Crude petroleum, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished carbon steel form core infrastructure industries group, accounting for 26.7 per cent weightage in the overall Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

Crude petroleum came out with worst performance among all these sectors managing a paltry growth of 0.3 per cent in November against a healthy 9.8 per cent in the same month last year.

In fact, except coal, growth in all other industries registered a decline during the month.
Petroleum refinery could grow by a mere 5.2 per cent as compared to 16.4 per cent in the year ago period. Electricity generation also dipped to 5.8 per cent from 8.8 per cent, while cement production grew by 4.5 per cent, declining from 11.8 per cent in November 2006.

Finished carbon steel registered a growth of 5.8 per cent in November 2007 as compared to 9.3 per cent in the year ago period.