Core sector growth up 5.3% in February as cement, refinery output pick up

Eight infrastructure sectors grew by 5.3 per cent in February, mainly helped by a robust performance of refinery products, fertiliser and cement segments. The eight infrastructure sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity -- had grew by just 0.6 per cent in February 2017. The core sectors expanded by 6.1 per cent in January.

Petroleum refinery production spurted 7.8 per cent in February against a negative growth rate of 2.8 per cent in the year-ago month, according to the official data released today.

Fertiliser and cement production rose by 5.3 per cent and 22.9 per cent, respectively, during the month under review.

Electricity generation too grew by 4 per cent in February against 1.2 per cent expansion in February 2017.

Coal and steel production growth slowed to 1.4 per cent and 5 per cent respectively during February against 6.6 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively in the same month last year.

Cumulatively, the eight core sectors grew by 4.3 per cent in April-February 2017-18 against 4.7 per cent in the same period last fiscal.

The core sector would have an impact on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data as these eight segments account for about 41 per cent of the total factory output.