India’s core sector growth rises to 1.7% in April, cement and steel power industrial momentum – Firstpost

India’s eight core industries recorded a modest growth of 1.7 per cent in April 2026, with strong performances in cement, steel and electricity helping offset weakness in sectors such as coal, crude oil and fertilizers.

According to the provisional Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) data released by the government, cement production emerged as the strongest performer, expanding 9.4 per cent year-on-year in April. Steel production rose 6.2 per cent, while electricity generation increased 4.1 per cent during the month.

The Eight Core Industries index tracks output across coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity, sectors that together account for over 40 per cent of the weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

While headline growth remained positive, several sectors continued to face pressure. Coal production contracted 8.7 per cent in April, crude oil output fell 3.9 per cent and natural gas production declined 4.3 per cent. Fertilizer output also dropped sharply by 8.6 per cent, reflecting uneven industrial momentum at the beginning of the financial year.

Refinery products too saw a marginal decline of 0.5 per cent during the month. The data suggests infrastructure-linked sectors continue to show resilience, while energy and commodity-related segments remain under strain.

The final growth rate for March 2026 was revised to 1.2 per cent, while cumulative core sector growth for FY26 stood at 2.7 per cent compared with the previous year.

The latest numbers indicate India’s industrial backbone remains in expansion mode, though the recovery continues to be uneven across sectors.