Eight core industries’ output grew 2.1 per cent in August, lower than the 3.8 per cent growth seen in same month last year.

For the April-August 2012 period, the cumulative growth rate stood at 2.8 per cent, lower than the 5.5 per cent growth seen in same period last year, official data released on Friday showed.

The growth moderation in August 2012 is due to the decline in output of natural gas (-13.5 per cent), cement (-2.4 per cent), fertilisers (-2.1 per cent) and crude oil (-0.6 per cent) besides decline in growth of steel (1.8 per cent) and electricity production (1.7 per cent).

The eight core industries are coal, crude oil, natural gas, petroleum refinery products, steel, cement and electricity. They have a combined weightage of 37.90 per cent in the index of industrial production.

Coal production recorded 11 per cent growth in August 2012 as against decline of 15.2 per cent in the same month last year. For April-August 2012, coal production grew 6.3 per cent compared to decline of 2.3 per cent in the same period last year.

Crude oil production declined 0.6 per cent in August compared with 1.6 per cent growth in August 2011. Cumulatively, crude oil production declined 12.1 per cent during April-August 2012. For the same period last year, the crude oil production had declined 8.9 per cent.

Natural gas production had declined both in August 2012 (-13.5 per cent) and August 2011 (-5.3 per cent). Cumulatively, natural gas production declined 12.1 per cent in April-August and (-) 8.9 per cent during the same period last year.

Electricity generation grew 1.7 per cent in August compared with 9.4 per cent growth in August 2011.

The cumulative growth of electricity generation in April-August stood at 4.9 per cent, lower than 9.4 per cent growth in same period of 2011-12.

>srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in

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