The index of infrastructure industries reported 3.4 per cent growth in November this year, as compared to a growth of 7.4 per cent in November 2000. The index, which includes six industries, constitutes almost 27 per cent of the index of industrial production.
The infrastructure index has grown by 2 per cent during April-November 2001 as against a growth of 6.4 per cent in the corresponding period last year, according to the latest data released by the ministry of commerce and industry today.
The performance in November, however, was better than the 2.2 per cent growth recorded in October 2001.
The highest monthly growth in the index this fiscal was in September, when it went up by 5.2 per cent over its level in September 2000.
Of the six industries, only coal and cement reported higher growth rates in November 2001 than that in November 2000. However, this could be due to the low base effect, as both these sectors had very low growth rates in November 2000.
Coal reported the highest growth rate of 12 per cent, as against a 0.3 per cent growth in November 2000.
This was followed by cement, which grew by 7.9 per cent and petroleum refinery products which reported a growth of 7.5 per cent.
Their growth rates in November 2000 were 1.1 per cent and 15.7 per cent, respectively. Electricity grew by 1.7 per cent as against a growth rate of 7.4 per cent in the corresponding month last year.
Finished steel grew by 0.7 per cent and crude petroleum by 0.6 per cent during November 2001, as against the growth rates of 11.4 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, in November 2000.
In the first eight months of the current fiscal, the cement sector grew by 5.5 per cent as against a 4 per cent growth in the corresponding period last year. Coal grew by 3.8 per cent, up from a 3.7 per cent fall in the index reported in 2000.
Crude petroleum production fell by 1.9 per cent during this period, as against a 0.1 per cent rise reported in the April-November 2000 period.
The growth in petroleum refinery products was down to 3.9 per cent as against 28.1 per cent last year. Finished steel reported a mere 0.6 per cent rise in production, as against a 10.2 per cent increase in the first eight months last year.
The electricity sector reported a 2.6 per cent growth, down from 4.9 per cent in the previous year. On a cumulative basis, hydro electricity production fell by 4.8 per cent while production of thermal and nuclear electricity went up by 3.5 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.
