India’s Core Sector Growth Hits 13-Month High of 6.3% in August

New Delhi — India’s eight core industries recorded their fastest growth in over a year, expanding by 6.3% in August 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday. The surge was driven largely by strong performances in the steel, coal, and cement sectors.

Key infrastructure-linked industries — including steel, coal, cement, fertilisers, electricity, and petroleum refinery products — registered positive growth during the month, reflecting a pickup in overall economic activity.

Steel production jumped by a sharp 14.2% in August, supported by rising demand from major government-led infrastructure projects. Between April and August of FY 2025-26, steel output rose 10.4% over the same period last year.

Coal output also rose strongly, posting 11.4% growth in August. Electricity generation increased by 3.1%, while fertiliser output climbed 4.6%. Cement production expanded 6.1% in August, bringing its cumulative growth for April–August to 8.4%.

Refinery products, including petrol, diesel, and LPG, grew by 3% during the month. However, crude oil production slipped by 1.2%, and natural gas output contracted by 2.2%.

For July 2025, the final growth rate of the core sector index stood at 3.7%. On a cumulative basis, the eight core industries grew 2.8% between April and August this year compared to the corresponding period of last year.

With inputs from IANS