Core sector output rises 6.8% in March

NEW DELHI: Output in the eight key infrastructure sectors rose to a 32-month high in March, helped by last year’s low base and double-digit growth in steel, cement, electricity and natural gas segments. But the surge in Covid infections is likely to hurt industrial recovery as more states impose local lockdowns.

Data released by the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) on Friday showed the core sector — covering coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity — grew 6.8% in March compared with a contraction of 3.8% in the previous month and an 8.6% decline in the year-ago period. The first wave of Covid, which led to a strict lockdown in March last year, had hurt the sector sharply.