The eight core sectors expanded to 16-month high of 6.4 per cent in March due to pick-up in refinery products, fertilisers and cement production.
The sectors — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity — comprising nearly 38 per cent of India’s total industrial production, had shrunk to (—)0.7 per cent in March last year.
It is the highest monthly growth since November 2014, when these sectors had expanded by 6.7 per cent.
During the fiscal 2015-16 as a whole, the eight core sectors grew by 2.7 per cent, while it had expanded by 4.5 per cent in 2014-15.
As per the data released by the government, output in refinery products jumped 10.8 per cent as against (-)1.5 per cent recorded in March 2015. Fertiliser production grew 22.9 per cent in March as against 5.2 per cent a year ago.
Similarly, cement output saw a jump of 11.9 per cent while there was decline in March 2015. Power generation saw a significant increase (11.3 per cent) in March 2016 as compared to the same month last year.
Coal production grew by 1.7 per cent, though at a slower pace than 4.5 per cent recorded in March 2015.
Crude oil production shrunk in March by (-)5.1 per cent.
Natural gas output fell sharply by (-)10.5 per cent year-on-year.