Cement, steel and electricity sectors drove growth in India’s core infrastructure industries during May 2026 | IANS (Representational Image)
New Delhi, June 22: The combined index of India’s eight core infrastructure industries increased by 0.5 per cent during May this year compared to the same month of the previous year, with cement, steel and electricity recording positive growth, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday. Meanwhile, the final growth rate of the eight core industries for April 2026 was revised to 1.8 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of the core industries during April to May 2026-27 now works out to 1.1 per cent compared to the corresponding period of last year.Steel, Cement And Power Lead GrowthSteel production recorded a 5 per cent increase in May over the same month of the previous year, while the cement sector clocked a robust 8.4 per cent growth during the month as demand for these products stayed buoyant due to large government investments in big-ticket infrastructure projects such as highways, ports and railways.
Electricity generation increased by 8.7 per cent in May, compared to the same month of the previous year.
Coal, Oil And Gas Output DeclinesHowever, coal production decreased by 9.3 per cent during the month, while crude oil output declined by 4.6 per cent.The production of natural gas fell by 4.9 per cent in May this year compared to the same month last year, while the output of refinery products fell 8.7 per cent during the month.Fertiliser production dipped by 0.9 per cent in May due to the decline in raw materials caused by the West Asia conflict.Also Watch:
Core Industries Remain Key IndicatorThe Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) measures the combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. The eight core industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and are a good indicator of the overall industrial growth in the economy.(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)