Eight core industries such as power and coal logged a sluggish 1.8 per cent growth in November this year as compared to 7.8 per cent growth registered in the corresponding month of the previous year, government data showed on Monday.
“The decline in growth in November, 2012, was on account of negative growth witnessed in production of coal, natural gas and cement and deceleration in growth rates of electricity, steel and petroleum refinery products,” the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement.
During April-November 2012-13, the cumulative growth rate of core industries was 3.5 per cent as against their growth at 4.8 per cent during the corresponding period of 2011-12.
The eight core industries — coal, crude oil, natural gas, petroleum refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity — have a combined weight of 37.90 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Crude oil production registered a growth of 0.8 per cent in November as against 5.7 per cent decline in the same month last year.
Electricity generation grew by a sluggish 2.3 per cent during the said month as compared to 14.4 per cent growth registered in November, 2011.
