8 key infra sectors grow at 4-month high of 7.8% in Jan

Production of eight infrastructure sectors expanded at a four-month high of 7.8 per cent in January 2023 on better show by coal, fertiliser, steel and electricity segments, according to official data released on Tuesday.

The output of core sectors had increased by 4 per cent in January 2022 and by 7 per cent in December 2022.

Barring crude oil, all the eight segments posted an increase in production.

Crude oil output contracted by 1.1 per cent in January.

The growth rate of eight infrastructure sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity -- stood at 7.9 per cent in April-January this fiscal as against 11.6 per cent during the same period last fiscal.

Core sector or key infrastructure industries, which have a 40.27 per cent weight in the overall index of industrial production (IIP), would have a bearing on industrial production data for the month.