Overview
- Government data released Wednesday, Oct. 21 showed core sector output rose 7.9% year‑on‑year in September under the 2022–23 rebased Index of Core Industries.
- Iron ore led growth with an 18.4% jump while electricity rose 11.4%, coal 10.7%, refinery products 10.3%, cement 9.8% and steel 4.9%.
- Three sectors contracted in September with fertiliser output down 11.7%, natural gas down 4.6% and crude oil down 1.4%, posing risks for agriculture inputs and downstream industry.
- August’s core growth was revised up from a provisional 4.8% to 5.9% and the six‑month cumulative April–September expansion improved to 5.1% from 2.5% a year earlier.
- The ICI covers nine sectors that make up about 40% of IIP weight and the next monthly core data for October is scheduled for release on November 20, 2026.