<p class="title">Output of eight core infrastructure industries contracted by 5.8 per cent in October, indicating the severity of economic slowdown, according to the government data released on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As many as six of the eight core industries saw a contraction in output in October.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Coal production fell steeply by 17.6 per cent, crude oil by 5.1 per cent, and natural gas by 5.7 per cent.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Production of cement (- 7.7 per cent), steel (- 1.6 per cent), and electricity (- 12.4 per cent) also declined during the month.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The only sector that posted growth in October was fertilizers where production increased by 11.8 per cent year-on-year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Growth in output of refinery products slowed down to 0.4 per cent in October as against 1.3 per cent in the same period last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The eight core sectors had expanded by 4.8 per cent in October 2018.</p>.<p class="bodytext">During the April-October period, the growth of core industries fell to 0.2 per cent against 5.4 per cent in the year-ago period.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Output of eight core infrastructure industries had contracted by 5.1 per cent in September, the lowest in the decade.</p>
<p class="title">Output of eight core infrastructure industries contracted by 5.8 per cent in October, indicating the severity of economic slowdown, according to the government data released on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As many as six of the eight core industries saw a contraction in output in October.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Coal production fell steeply by 17.6 per cent, crude oil by 5.1 per cent, and natural gas by 5.7 per cent.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Production of cement (- 7.7 per cent), steel (- 1.6 per cent), and electricity (- 12.4 per cent) also declined during the month.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The only sector that posted growth in October was fertilizers where production increased by 11.8 per cent year-on-year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Growth in output of refinery products slowed down to 0.4 per cent in October as against 1.3 per cent in the same period last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The eight core sectors had expanded by 4.8 per cent in October 2018.</p>.<p class="bodytext">During the April-October period, the growth of core industries fell to 0.2 per cent against 5.4 per cent in the year-ago period.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Output of eight core infrastructure industries had contracted by 5.1 per cent in September, the lowest in the decade.</p>