As expected, the lockdown wreaked havoc on the output of eight core industries in April, contracting 38.1 per cent for the month under review.
The eight core industries — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity — had contracted 9 per cent in March. In April last year, their output had recorded 5.2 per cent growth. Output of all core industries contracted in April, although there was a differential impact on the extent to which activity was curtailed in the various constituents.
While steel (contraction of 83.9 per cent) and cement (contraction of 86 per cent) were hit the most, fertilisers and crude oil production were affected to a lesser extent; they reported modest contraction of 4.5 per cent and 6.3 per cent, respectively. Natural gas output saw contraction of 19.9 per cent, while refinery products output contracted 24.2 per cent.
