New Delhi, February 28: India's core infrastructure sectors registered a 4.6% growth in January 2025, slightly improving from 4.2% in January 2024, according to official data released on Friday. However, the expansion was marginally lower than 4.8% recorded in December 2024.
Among the eight key sectors, crude oil and natural gas production saw a decline compared to the previous year, while other industries displayed mixed performance.
Sector-Wise Performance
- Coal production increased by 4.6% in January 2025, significantly lower than the 10.6% growth seen in January 2024.
- Steel output expanded by 3.7%, compared to a robust 9.2% growth last year.
- Electricity generation grew by 1.3%, a sharp decline from 5.7% in January 2024.
- Refinery products saw 8.3% growth, indicating a positive momentum.
- Fertilizer production rose by 3%, maintaining steady growth.
- Cement production surged by 14.5%, making it the highest-growing sector for the month.
Core Sector Growth for FY25
For the April 2024 - January 2025 period, the cumulative growth of the eight core sectors stood at 4.4%, a significant drop from 7.8% recorded in the same period of the previous fiscal year.These eight industries hold a 40.27% weightage in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), making their performance a crucial indicator of overall industrial growth in the country.
The data reflects slowing momentum in industrial output, driven by weaker growth in coal, steel, and electricity, despite improvements in refinery and cement production.
