Eight core sectors growth slows down to 4.2% in August

New Delhi: The growth of eight core sectors slowed to 4.2 percent in August, due to fall in output of crude oil, petroleum product and fertiliser.

The growth rate of eight infrastructure sectors – coal , crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity –was 4.4 percent in August last year.

Crude Oil and fertiliser productions recorded negative growth of 3.7 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively, as per the government data released on Friday

Slow growth in key sectors would also have implications on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) number as these segments account for about 41 percent to the total factory output

However, growth in Coal production and Natural Gas production grew by 2.4 percent and 1.1 percent in August.

Petroleum Refinery production too increased by 5.1 percent in August. Steel and Cement production increased by 3.9 percent in  and 14.3 percent in August.