The output of eight core industries grew a meagre 0.1 per cent in June, sharply lower than 7.9 per cent expansion recorded in same month last year.
This weak growth performance was mainly due to contraction in crude oil, natural gas, coal and electricity output.
The contraction in production of coal, crude oil, natural gas and electricity in June was three per cent, 0.6 per cent, 16.7 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, according to official data released on Wednesday.
The eight core industries have a 37.9 per cent weightage in the index of industrial production. Petroleum refinery output expanded 2.3 per cent.
Cement output was up 2.3 per cent and steel production grew 3.4 per cent in June.
On a cumulative basis, eight infrastructure industries’ output in April-June grew 1.6 per cent, lower than 6.9 per cent in the same period last year.
The cumulative growth was 3.2 per cent in 2012-13 as against five per cent in the previous financial year.