Growth of core sector industries slows to 2.6% in April on decline in crude oil, natural gas and fertiliser output

New Delhi: The growth of eight core infrastructure sectors slowed down to 2.6 percent in April, due to negative growth in crude oil, natural gas and fertiliser output.

During April 2018, the expansion rate of eight infrastructure sectors – coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity – stood at 4.7 percent. Coal generation growth was flat at 2.8 percent in April 2019, said the government data. The output of electricity and refinery products was 5.8 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively. Crude oil, natural gas, and fertilizers sectors posted a decline in growth during the month. The infrastructure sector growth has an impact on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) as these segments account for about 41 percent of the total factory output.