Infrastructure Output Of Core Sectors Up 0.1%, Declines 8.8% Between April-January Period

Infrastructure Output in January 2021: The output of eight core infrastructure sectors grew 0.1 per cent in January 2021, compared to last year, according to government data on Friday, February 26. The infrastructure output, which comprises eight core sectors including coal, crude oil, and electricity, declined by 8.8 per cent during April-January 2020-2021 against a growth rate of 0.8 per cent in the same period of the previous year. Coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, as well as cement registered negative growth in January. The eight core industries constitute 40.27 per cent of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) (Also Read: Infrastructure Output Of Core Sectors Contracts 1.3% In December 2020 )

According to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the output of fertiliser, steel, and electricity sectors in January grew by 2.7 per cent, 2.6 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively. The combined index of the eight core industries stood at 137.6 in January 2021 increased by 0.1 per cent as compared to the index in the corresponding month of 2020. The final growth rate of index of eight core industries for October 2020 is revised to (-) 0.5 per cent from its provisional level (-2.5 per cent).

In December 2020, the industrial production in the country grew by one per cent, after recording a contraction of 1.9 per cent in November 2020. According to the IIP data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on February 12, 2021, the manufacturing sector output grew by 1.6 per cent, mining output declined by 4.8 per cent, while power generation grew 5.1 per cent during the month. (Also Read: Industrial Production Grows 1% In December 2020: All You Need To Know )

Meanwhile, the output of eight core sectors contracted by 1.3 per cent in December 2020, for the third month in a row, due to a decline in the output of crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, and cement sectors. According to provisional data released by the commerce and industry ministry on January 29, the eight core sectors expanded by 3.1 per cent in the corresponding month of 2019.