India’s eight core infrastructure industries saw a 2.3% increase in February compared to the same month last year. Key sectors like cement, steel, fertilizers, coal, and electricity showed positive growth during this period. Steel production rose by 7.2% and cement sector by 9.3% due to increased demand from major infrastructure projects.
Coal production also grew by 2.3% in February, while electricity generation saw a 0.5% increase. Fertilizer production recorded a 3.4% growth, supported by higher rabi sowing and increased farm incomes. However, crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum refinery production declined in February compared to the previous year.
The final growth rate for the index of eight core industries in January 2026 was 4.7%. The cumulative growth rate from April to February 2025-26 stood at 2.9% compared to the same period last year. The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) measures the performance of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity, reflecting 40.27% of the items in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
