Coronavirus impact: India’s key infrastructure sector output contracts in March

After a 11-month high growth of 5.5 per cent in February, India’s eight key infrastructure sector shrank 6.5 per cent in March as manufacturing and economy crawled in a nearly six-week long lockdown that is expected to be lifted from Monday.s

The government data released Thursday evening showed contraction in all eight infra sectors with natural gas, fertilisers and steel accounting for double digit decline.

This is the first time in the country's recent history that all infra sectors have contracted in the same month.

The crude oil sector contracted 5.5 per cent, natural gas 15.2 per cent, refinery products 0.5 per cent, fertilisers 11.9 per cent, steel 13 per cent, cement 24.7 per cent and electricity 7.2 per cent during the month. Coal was the only sector that grew 4 per cent.

The eight core industries have over 40 per cent weight in the Index of Industrial Production, the numbers for which will be released later next month.