Core sector output growth slows to 3-month low in Sep

Coal, crude oil, natural gas, and refinery products contract, while steel output surges

- Rhik Kundu

India’s core infrastructure sector growth eased to a three-month low in September, with output rising 3% year-on-year, provisional data from the commerce ministry showed on Tuesday.

Growth in the core infrastructure sectors had climbed to 6.5% in August, revised up from 6.3% earlier. In September 2024, growth was at 2.4%.

The eight core sectors—coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity— together make up over two-fifths of the country’s industrial output.

In September, growth contracted in four of these sectors—coal, crude oil, natural gas, and refinery products— while fertilizers, cement, and electricity saw their output slowing.

Steel stood out as the only sector to register annual growth in September, improving its performance from the previous month.

Coal production contracted 1.2% in September, a sharp drop from the 11.4% growth recorded in August.

Crude oil output fell 1.3% during the month, compared with a 2.4% increase in August.