India's core sector comprising nine industries recorded a 30-month high growth in output at 7.9 percent in September 2026, up from 5.9 percent in August 2026, according to data released by the ministry of commerce and industry on Thursday, October 22.
The core sector industries are electricity, refinery products, steel, crude oil, coal, iron ore, cement, natural gas and fertilizers.
The output growth in September 2026 was the highest ever in the new series with 2022-23 as the base year.
The strong rebound was led by growth in iron ore output, with six of the nine industries posting positive growth rates during the month.
Iron ore production recorded the highest growth among the nine core industries, rising 18.4 percent year on year in September 2026. Electricity generation increased 11.4 percent, while coal production rose 10.7 percent. Refinery products output expanded 10.3 percent, cement production was up 9.8 percent, and steel output increased by 4.9 percent.
Fertiliser output contracted by 11.7 percent in September 2026, marking the steepest fall among the nine industries. Natural gas production declined by 4.6 percent, while crude oil output fell by 1.4 percent.
