India's core sector output slows to 4.8% in August

The Index of Core Industries (ICI) grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, according to provisional estimates released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.The growth was marginally lower than the 5.0 per cent recorded in July 2026. The final July index was revised to 120.8 from the earlier estimate of 121.2.
Among the eight core industries, cement, electricity, iron ore, steel and refinery products recorded positive growth in August. Cement output increased 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent, iron ore at 5.5 per cent, steel at 3.4 per cent and refinery products at 2.6 per cent.
Meanwhile, coal, natural gas, crude oil and fertilisers recorded negative growth during the month.The Ministry said iron ore, electricity and cement have been major contributors to the overall growth of the Index of Core Industries in recent months.Cumulatively, the eight core industries grew 4.3 per cent during April-August 2026, compared with 2.4 per cent growth in the corresponding period of the previous year.The eight core industries—coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity—together constitute the core sector index.The August 2026 data is provisional. The provisional ICI for September 2026 is scheduled to be released on October 21, 2026.