Advertisement
What really powers the cloud? Behind every Google search, A...
A lot of what defines a home isn’t visible at handover. I...
Private equity has played a significant role in shaping Indi...
Luxury real estate is one of the most talked-about segments ...
Airports play a much bigger role than just enabling travel -...
• India’s eight core infrastructure industries recorded 1.7 per cent growth in April, according to government data released on May 20.
• The expansion was supported by increased production in steel, cement and electricity sectors, indicating continued activity in construction and industrial demand.
• Core sector growth had stood at 1 per cent in April last year and 1.2 per cent in March 2026.
• Output from coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and fertiliser segments contracted during the month under review.
• The core industries comprise sectors critical to infrastructure and construction activity and collectively influence industrial production and economic growth trends.
India’s eight core infrastructure industries recorded a 1.7 per cent increase in output during April, supported primarily by higher production in steel, cement and electricity sectors, according to official data released by the government on May 20. The latest figures indicate continued momentum in construction-linked and industrial activity at the start of the new financial year. Advertisement
The growth in April was higher than the 1 per cent expansion recorded during the corresponding month last year and also exceeded the revised 1.2 per cent growth reported in March 2026. The core sector index tracks the performance of industries considered critical to economic and infrastructure activity and serves as an important indicator for overall industrial production trends.
Among the eight infrastructure industries, steel and cement output registered positive growth during the month, reflecting sustained demand from construction, manufacturing and infrastructure projects. Electricity generation also recorded an increase, supported by industrial and commercial consumption requirements across sectors.
The cement and steel industries are closely monitored within the real estate and infrastructure sectors as they directly reflect construction activity across residential, commercial and public infrastructure projects. Continued growth in these segments is generally associated with ongoing execution of roads, urban infrastructure, industrial parks and housing developments across the country.
However, several core industries recorded contraction during April. According to the data, coal production, crude oil extraction, natural gas output, refinery products and fertiliser production declined during the month under review. The slowdown in these sectors moderated the overall pace of growth in the composite core industries index.
The eight core sectors include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. Together, these industries account for around 40 per cent of the weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), making them significant indicators of broader economic performance.
The latest core sector data comes amid continued public and private investment in infrastructure and manufacturing projects, alongside ongoing construction activity across real estate markets. Analysts and industry stakeholders closely track movements in cement and steel output as indicators of demand trends within housing, urban development and capital expenditure cycles.
Government-led infrastructure spending, transport projects, industrial expansion and residential construction activity have continued to support demand for key building materials despite fluctuations across energy-linked sectors. The April figures suggest that while parts of the energy and commodity chain remained under pressure, construction-related industries maintained relatively stable output growth entering FY27.
Source - PTI
5th Jun, 2025
25th May, 2023
11th May, 2023
27th Apr, 2023
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
