The eight core sector industries reported a slower growth in March at 2.9 per cent from three per cent in the same month previous year. This was mainly due to drop in production of natural gas and meagre growth in coal and crude oil.

During the fiscal 2012-13, the growth of eight industries – crude oil, natural gas, cement, coal, electricity, steel, petroleum refinery products and fertilisers – was down at 2.6 per cent against five per cent in 2011-12. These eight industries have a weightage of 37.9 per cent in the overall Index of Industrial Production.

While natural gas production was down 17.7 per cent in March, coal and crude oil output was up at 0.3 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively in March 2013. Cement production growth slowed to 6.6 per cent in March 2013, from 7.1 per cent in same month last year. .

Petroleum refining and fertiliser production grew by 5.6 per cent and 3.6 per cent in March 2013 against 1.6 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively, in the same period last year.

Steel output increased by 6.6 per cent from 6.2 per cent in March 2012. Electricity generation grew marginally to three per cent growth in March 2013 compared to its 2.8 per cent in the previous year.

bindu.menon@thehindu.co.in

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