New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) The combined index of India’s eight core infrastructure industries increased by 2.3 per cent in February this year compared to the corresponding figure for the same month of the previous year, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Friday.

The production of cement, steel, fertilisers, coal, and electricity recorded positive growth in February.

Steel production recorded a 7.2 per cent increase in February over the same month of the previous year, while the cement sector clocked a robust 9.3 per cent growth during the month as demand for these products surged due to large government investments in big-ticket infrastructure projects.

Coal production increased by 2.3 per cent in February over the same month of the previous year, while electricity generation rose by 0.5 per cent.

Fertiliser production posted a 3.4 per cent growth during the month as rabi sowing has recorded an increase, and farm incomes have risen on the back of a better performance of the agricultural sector.

However, crude oil and natural gas production, as well as petroleum refinery production, recorded a decline during February as compared to the index in the same month last year. While the decline in crude production is due to the ageing of ONGC and Oil India oilfields, petroleum refinery production is governed by the demand for petro goods and stocks that are available for marketing with the oil companies.

The final growth rate of the index of eight core industries for January 2026 was observed at 4.7 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of the index during April to February, 2025-26, now works out to 2.9 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) measures the combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, and electricity. The eight core industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and are a good indicator of the overall industrial growth in the economy.

–IANS

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