New Delhi: India’s Index of Core Industries (ICI) recorded a 5 per cent growth in June this year compared with the same month of the previous year, driven by a surge in the production of iron ore, electricity and cement, according to the new series data released on Monday.
The Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has released the revised series of the ICI with the Base Year 2022-23 for the first time. The new series will replace the existing ICI series, with Base Year 2011-12.
The growth rate of core industries in June marks an improvement over the 3.2 per cent recorded in May 2026.
Iron ore, electricity, cement, steel and coal clocked a year-on-year growth rate of 43.9 per cent, 9.8 per cent, 9.8 per cent, 4.6 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively, whereas natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers witnessed negative growth in June 2026.
Iron ore and electricity have been the major drivers of ICI’s overall growth in recent months.
The cement sector clocked robust growth during the month as demand stayed buoyant due to large government investments in big-ticket infrastructure projects such as highways, ports and railways.
The cumulative growth rate of ICI during April-June 2026 now works out to 3.6 per cent compared to 1.0 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Owing to intensive use of iron ore in the production process and its contribution to industrial development, it has been included in the list of core industries as a new item in the revised series of ICI. Accordingly, the number of core industries has increased from eight to nine in the new series.
Gross production data have been used to compile the steel index in the new ICI series, replacing net production data in the ICI (2011-12) series to make it consistent with the Index of Industrial Production.
Besides, only raw coal has been retained in the new series of ICI by excluding coal middling and washed coal to avoid double counting, since coal middling and washed coal are made from raw coal, the official statement added.
(IANS)
