India’s eight infrastructure industries designated at ‘core industries’ recorded a growth of 1.7 percent in April 2026, a two-month high, according to government data released on Thursday, May 21.
The eight core industries are coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizer, steel, cement and electricity.
Cement production emerged as the strongest performer, expanding 9.4 percent in April. Steel production rose 6.2 percent, while electricity generation increased 4.1 percent during the month.
Coal production contracted by 8.7 percent in April, crude oil output fell 3.9 percent and natural gas production declined by 4.3 percent. Fertilizer output also dropped sharply by 8.6 percent. Refinery products saw a marginal decline of 0.5 percent during the month.
