India's 8 core sectors growth soars to 4-year high in April

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: India's eight core sectors growth rose by 8.5 percent in April compared to (-)0.2 percent in same month last year.

The sectors - coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity - comprising nearly 38 percent of India's total industrial production. Its cumulative growth during April to March, 2015-16 was 2.7 percent.

As per the data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry, output of refinery products jumped by 17.9 percent as against a negative growth of 2.9 percent in April 2015.

Production of fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity grew by 7.8 percent, 6.1 percent, 4.4 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively, during the month under review compared to the year ago period.

However, production of coal, crude oil and natural gas declined in April this year.

While coal output dipped by 0.9 percent, crude oil and natural gas production declined by 2.3 percent and 6.8 percent respectively.