New Delhi, June 22 (IANS). The growth rate of the combined index of India’s eight main infrastructure industries was 0.5 percent on an annual basis in May. In this, tremendous growth has been seen in cement, steel and electricity sectors. This information was given in the data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday.
With this, the government revised the growth rate of eight core industries to 1.8 percent for April 2026. The overall growth rate of core industries during April to May 2026-27 is now 1.1 percent compared to the same period last year.
Steel production in May registered a growth of 5 per cent compared to the same month last year, while the cement sector witnessed a strong growth of 8.4 per cent during the month. The reason for this is the continued demand for these products due to the government’s huge investment in big infrastructure projects like highways, ports and railways.
Electricity production increased by 8.7 percent in May compared to the same month last year.
However, coal production declined by 9.3 percent during the month, while crude oil production declined by 4.6 percent.
Natural gas production declined by 4.9 percent in May this year compared to the same month last year, while the production of refinery products declined by 8.7 percent.
Fertilizer production declined by 0.9 percent in May due to shortage of raw materials due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The Combined Index of Eight Core Infrastructure Industries (ICI) measures the combined and individual performance of the production of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity. These eight core industries account for 40.27 per cent of the items included in the ‘Index of Industrial Production’ (IIP) and its growth is a good sign for industrial growth in the economy.
–IANS
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