India’s key industrial sectors bounced back in August 2025, with the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) climbing 6.3% from the same month a year earlier. This provisional figure signals positive momentum in the country’s manufacturing and energy hubs, according to a release from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
The ICI tracks output in eight vital areas: coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity. These sectors account for about 40% of the broader Index of Industrial Production (IIP), making them a big indicator of economic health.
Steel, coal, cement, fertilizers, electricity, and petroleum refinery products all saw gains last month. For instance, steel production surged 14.2%, while coal output rose 11.4%. Cement jumped 6.1%, fertilizers increased 4.6%, petroleum refineries grew 3%, and electricity generation edged up 3.1%. These boosts helped drive the overall ICI growth.
Not everything trended up, though. Crude oil production dipped 1.2%, and natural gas output fell 2.2% compared to August 2024.
Looking at the bigger picture, the final ICI growth for July 2025 came in at 3.7%. From April to August in the 2025-26 fiscal year, the cumulative ICI growth stands at 2.8% over the previous year’s same period—showing steady, if modest, progress amid global challenges.
Breaking it down by sector:
– Coal (10.33% weight in ICI): Up 11.4% monthly, but down 0.7% cumulatively.
– Crude oil (8.98% weight): Down 1.2% monthly and 1.7% cumulatively.
– Natural gas (6.88% weight): Down 2.2% monthly and 2.5% cumulatively.
– Petroleum refineries (28.04% weight): Up 3% monthly and 0.4% cumulatively.
– Fertilizers (2.63% weight): Up 4.6% monthly, but down 0.8% cumulatively.
– Steel (17.92% weight): Up 14.2% monthly and 10.4% cumulatively.
– Cement (5.37% weight): Up 6.1% monthly and 8.4% cumulatively.
– Electricity (19.85% weight): Up 3.1% monthly and 0.5% cumulatively.
This data highlights how India’s core industries, especially in metals and energy, are fueling economic recovery.
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