The output of the six core infrastructure industries grew by 6.8% in February supported by healthy expansion of sectors like crude oil, petroleum refinery products and finished steel.
The six core sectors -- crude oil, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel -- had expanded by 4.2% in February 2010.
In January, 2011, the output of the core infrastructure sectors grew by 7.1%. These core industries account for 26.68% of the country's total industrial output.
Petroleum refinery and crude oil output grew by 3.2% and 12.2% in February from 0.7% and 4% respectively in the same period last year, data released by the Industry Ministry today revealed.
Electricity generation grew by 7.2% in the month under review compared to 6.9% in February 2010, the data said.
Finished steel production too registered a healthy growth of 11.5% in February from a contraction of 0.2% in the corresponding period last year.
However, coal output contracted by 5.7% in contrast to 6.7% expansion in the corresponding period last year.
Growth in cement production slowed to 6.5% in the month under review from 7.9% in February 2010.
During the April-February period of the current fiscal, the six core industries registered a growth of 5.7%, compared to 5.4% expansion in the same period last year.
