Overview
- Provisional government data show infrastructure output rose 5.4% year‑on‑year in July 2026, down 0.6 percentage point from June after that month was revised up to 6%.
- The Index of Core Industries now uses 2022–23 as its base year and adds iron ore as the ninth sector, replacing the older 2011–12 series.
- Iron ore led the monthly gains at 29.5%, followed by cement at 13.1% and electricity at 9%; coal, steel and refinery products also rose while natural gas, crude oil and fertiliser fell.
- On a cumulative basis, the ICI expanded 4.3% in April–July 2026 compared with 1.5% in the same period a year earlier, signaling broader improvement despite July’s moderation.
- The figures are provisional and commonly revised, so analysts and policymakers will watch updates closely for signals about growth and inflation and for how commodity and energy trends affect the wider economy.