Core sector output growth dips to a 5-month low of 3.6% in March

Growth in the output of eight core sectors slumped to five-month low of 3.6 per cent in March from 7.2 per cent in the previous month, dragged by fall in production of electricity, cement and crude oil, the government data showed.

The sharpest decline was recorded in the production of crude oil, which was down by 2.8 per cent when compared with the same month last year.

Electricity generation declined by 1.8 per cent in March on a year-on-year basis while cement production was down by 0.8 per cent, as per data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Eight core industries, which include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity, comprise 40.27 per cent weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).