New Delhi, Oct 21 Driven by strong performance in the iron ore, electricity, and cement segments, production in key infrastructure industries rose 7.9 per cent in September, the fastest pace in the new series.
According to the official data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday, the core sector expanded by 3.1 per cent in September last year and 5.9 per cent in August 2026.
Among segments, iron ore output rose by 18.4 per cent, electricity by 11.4 per cent, coal by 10.7 per cent, and refinery products by 10.3 per cent. Cement production rose 9.8 per cent and steel by 4.9 per cent in September compared with the same period last year.
However, fertilisers (-11.7 per cent), natural gas (-4.6 per cent), and crude oil (-1.4 per cent) output fell during the month under review, the ministry said in the statement.
The cumulative growth rate of core sectors during April-September 2026 was 5.1 per cent compared to 2.5 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year, it added.
The new series was started in June. The base year has been shifted to 2022-23 and expanded from eight to nine sectors by adding iron ore.
Commenting on the data, Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, ICRA Ltd, said the uptick was broad-based, with seven of the nine sectors, barring electricity and cement, recording an improvement in their performance in September 2026 vis-a-vis August.
Coal and iron ore output witnessed a meaningful pickup in their year-on-year growth rates in September 2026 compared to August 2026; while this was aided by a low base, the sequential uptick in coal was quite strong, amid low stocks at power plants, she said.
“ICRA now forecasts full-year electricity growth at 8.5 per cent, exceeding our baseline forecast for GDP growth for this fiscal year (7.1 per cent),” she said, adding that trends in finished steel consumption suggest that construction activity likely remained healthy in the month.
Notwithstanding the uptick in core output expansion, “ICRA expects the IIP growth to ease somewhat to 6-7 per cent in September from 8 per cent in August 2026, with an elevated base weighing on the non-core segment growth in the month.
(PTI News)
