Eight Core Infrastructure Industries registered a robust 6.8% Growth in Output in February 2012

As per the data on the core industries released on 29 March 2012, eight core infrastructure industries registered a robust 6.8 per cent growth in output in February 2012. The sector had raised concern when it grew by a mere 0.5 per cent in January 2012. The core sector had grown by 6.4 per cent in February 2011.

The healthy growth in core sector comprising crude oil, petroleum refinery products, natural gas, fertilisers, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel was attributed to significant increase in the output of three key sectors, namely, coal, power and cement.

As per the data, generation of electricity and production of coal and cement increased by 8 per cent, 17.8 per cent and 10.8 per cent, respectively, in February 2012. Coal production recorded the smartest gain, rising 17.8% in February 2012 from 7.5% in January 2012. Coal production had contracted 5.8% in February 2011.

In February 2011, while electricity generation and cement output had gone up by 7.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent, respectively, production of coal had contracted by 5.8 per cent. Output of petroleum refinery products grew by 6.2 per cent as against 3.2 per cent in February 2011.

Fertiliser and steel production increased by 4.1 per cent and 4.3 per cent in February 2012 as against 4.8 per cent and 18.5 per cent, respectively, in February 2011.

Crude oil production went up by a mere 0.4 per cent in February 2012 as compared to a robust increase of 12.2 per cent in February 2012. Output of natural gas also contracted by 7.6 per cent in February 2012.

As a result of the improved performance of the core sectors in February, the cumulative growth in core industries during the April-February period of 2011-12 increased marginally to 4.4 per cent.