Infrastructure Output Of Core Sectors Rises 4.4% In September 2021

The output of the eight core infrastructure sectors rose 4.4 per cent in September 2021, compared to the corresponding month last year, government data showed on Friday, October 29. The infrastructure output witnessed a muted growth of 0.6 per cent in September 2020 when the pandemic hit industrial activity across the country.

The growth of core sectors stood at 11.5 per cent in August and 9.4 per cent in July 2021. The eight core industries consists of 40.27 per cent of the total weight of the items included in the industrial output or the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The growth in the infrastructure output last month was mostly driven by the coal, cement, and natural gas sectors. The production of natural gas, cement, and coal sectors increased by 27.5 per cent, 10.8 per cent, and 8.1 per cent, respectively. The combined index of the eight core industries stood at 126.7 in September 2021, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry today. In the year-ago period, the combined index was 121.4.