<p>New Delhi: India’s core industrial output growth rose to 1.7% in April, from an upward revised 1.2% in the previous month, on the back of strong performance of infrastructure-related sectors like steel and cement, as per official data on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Cement production grew by 9.4% year-on-year. Steel production increased by 6.2%, while electricity output in April was 4.1% higher, compared to the same month last year.</p>.<p>However, other five sectors recorded contraction. Coal was the worst-affected, with 8.7% year-on-year contraction, while fertiliser output dipped by 8.6%. Output of crude oil in April was 3.9% lower, when compared with the same month last year. Natural gas output declined by 4.3%, while petroleum refineries witnessed output contraction of 0.5%, Commerce and Industry Ministry data showed.</p>.<p>For March, the ministry has revised upward the core industrial sector output growth to 1.2%. In the provisional figures released last month, it had reported a contraction of 0.4%.</p>.<p>This was largely due to upward revision in heavy weights like steel and electricity, and higher production in cement. Petroleum refinery products have the highest 28.04% weight in the Index of Eight Core Industries, electricity at 19.85% and steel at 17.92%.</p>.Core sector growth rises to 4-month high in December.<p>The core sector, as measured by the Index of Eight Core Industries, accounts for 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).</p>.<p>“The uptick in the growth in April 2026 relative to March 2026, was largely driven by electricity generation, and cement, as well as a narrower drag from fertilisers,” said Rahul Agrawal, Senior Economist, ICRA.</p>.<p>He noted that contraction in five out of the eight core sectors indicate that economic activities in some sectors were impacted by the West Asia crisis.</p>.<p>“This is likely to reflect in tepid IIP growth in April 2026, for which data will be released on the much-awaited new base,” he added. </p>.<p>Megha Arora, Director — Economics, India Ratings & Research, said positive growth in April was partly due to favourable base effect.</p>
<p>New Delhi: India’s core industrial output growth rose to 1.7% in April, from an upward revised 1.2% in the previous month, on the back of strong performance of infrastructure-related sectors like steel and cement, as per official data on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Cement production grew by 9.4% year-on-year. Steel production increased by 6.2%, while electricity output in April was 4.1% higher, compared to the same month last year.</p>.<p>However, other five sectors recorded contraction. Coal was the worst-affected, with 8.7% year-on-year contraction, while fertiliser output dipped by 8.6%. Output of crude oil in April was 3.9% lower, when compared with the same month last year. Natural gas output declined by 4.3%, while petroleum refineries witnessed output contraction of 0.5%, Commerce and Industry Ministry data showed.</p>.<p>For March, the ministry has revised upward the core industrial sector output growth to 1.2%. In the provisional figures released last month, it had reported a contraction of 0.4%.</p>.<p>This was largely due to upward revision in heavy weights like steel and electricity, and higher production in cement. Petroleum refinery products have the highest 28.04% weight in the Index of Eight Core Industries, electricity at 19.85% and steel at 17.92%.</p>.Core sector growth rises to 4-month high in December.<p>The core sector, as measured by the Index of Eight Core Industries, accounts for 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).</p>.<p>“The uptick in the growth in April 2026 relative to March 2026, was largely driven by electricity generation, and cement, as well as a narrower drag from fertilisers,” said Rahul Agrawal, Senior Economist, ICRA.</p>.<p>He noted that contraction in five out of the eight core sectors indicate that economic activities in some sectors were impacted by the West Asia crisis.</p>.<p>“This is likely to reflect in tepid IIP growth in April 2026, for which data will be released on the much-awaited new base,” he added. </p>.<p>Megha Arora, Director — Economics, India Ratings & Research, said positive growth in April was partly due to favourable base effect.</p>
