Infrastructure sector expands 5.2% in June

Infrastructure sector grew at 5.2% in June, fastest in two months, on the back of double-digit growth in coal and cement sectors.

The eight infrastructure sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity -- had expanded by 3.1% in June 2015. The eight core sectors comprise nearly 38% of the total industrial production. The cumulative growth during the first quarter of the current fiscal was 5.4%.

These eight core sector industries had expanded by 3.1% in June 2015. The core sector had expanded by 2.8% in May, slowest in 2016. As per the data released by the government, coal production increased by 12% in June year-on-year.

Similarly, cement production saw a double digit expansion in June (10.3%) over the same in 2015. Fertilizer production increased 9.8% in June (though slower than the previous month) while petroleum refinery production expansed of 3.5%. The growth in electricity generation was 8.1% on annual basis.

Steel production, with a weight 6.68% in the index, also increased by 2.4%. Natural gas output dipped 4.5% and crude oil production fell by 4.3% in June.