Key Sector Highlights
- Steel: Rose 14.2% in August, slightly slower than July’s 16.6%, but remained the top performer.
- Coal: Output surged 11.4%, rebounding strongly from last year’s contraction.
- Cement: Production increased 6.1%, moderating from double-digit growth in July.
- Fertiliser: Output improved 4.6%, reflecting stronger demand.
- Electricity: Generation rose 3.1%, showing steady growth.
- Refinery Products: Increased 3%, indicating resilience across energy-related sectors.
- Crude Oil: Production fell 1.2%, continuing a long-term decline.
- Natural Gas: Output dropped 2.2%, remaining weak through the April–August period.
Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)
The ICI, which forms 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), showed a cumulative growth of 2.8% between April and August 2025–26. This reflects a gradual and steady recovery in India’s core sectors.
Month-on-Month Growth Comparison
| Sector | Growth in Aug 2025 | Growth in Jul 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6.3% | 3.7% |
| Coal | +11.4% | -12.3% |
| Crude Oil | -1.2% | 0% |
| Natural Gas | -2.2% | -3.2% |
| Refinery Products | +3% | -1.1% |
| Fertiliser | +4.6% | 2% |
| Steel | +14.2% | 16.6% |
| Cement | +6.1% | 11.6% |
| Electricity | +3.1% | 3.7% |
Overall, the data shows a strong rebound in core industries, especially in steel, coal, and fertilisers, signaling positive momentum for India’s infrastructure and industrial growth.
