India’s eight core industries grew by 1.7% in April 2026 compared to April 2025, according to data released by the Government of India. The growth was mainly supported by higher production of cement, steel and electricity, while most other sectors recorded declines. These eight industries account for 40.27% of the weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and are considered key indicators of industrial activity.
The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) tracks production across eight major sectors: coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity. The final growth rate for March 2026 was revised to 1.2%, while the cumulative growth during FY26 (April 2025 to March 2026) stood at 2.7% compared with the previous financial year.
Coal production declined 8.7% year-on-year in April 2026. During FY26, the sector’s cumulative index fell 0.5%, indicating weaker overall output compared with the previous year.
Crude oil production fell 3.9% in April 2026, while natural gas production dropped 4.3%. For FY26, both sectors recorded a cumulative decline of 2.8%, reflecting continued weakness in domestic hydrocarbon production.
Petroleum refinery products registered a modest decline of 0.5% in April 2026. The sector’s cumulative output for FY26 slipped 0.1%. Fertilizer production also contracted sharply, falling 8.6% in April, with cumulative production down 0.1% during the financial year.
Among the strongest performers, steel production increased 6.2% in April 2026 compared with a year earlier. The sector posted a robust 9.5% cumulative growth during FY26, making it one of the best-performing core industries.
Cement production rose 9.4%, the highest growth among all eight sectors in April 2026. The sector also recorded a strong 8.7% increase in cumulative output during FY26, supported by infrastructure and construction activity.
Electricity generation increased 4.1% in April 2026 and recorded 1.0% cumulative growth during FY26. The government noted that electricity generation data includes output from renewable energy sources, a practice followed since April 2014. Data for April 2026 remains provisional, while the next core sector index release for May 2026 is scheduled for June 22, 2026.
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