<div>Healthy output of electricity, coal and crude oil has helped in pushing the core sector growth to 4.5 per cent in February from 1.3 per cent in the same month a year ago.</div><div> </div><div>The Index of eight core industries grew 1.6 per cent in January this year.</div><div> </div><div>The eight core industries -- fertilisers, cement, steel, electricity, crude oil, coal, petroleum refinery products and natural gas -- have a combined weight of about 38 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production.</div><div> </div><div>However, the core sector growth was slowed down to 2.6 per cent during the April-February period of this financial year compared with 6.4 per cent in the same period of 2012-13.</div><div> </div><div>Electricity generation grew exponentially by 10.4 per cent in the month under review as against (-) 3.7 per cent in February 2013.</div><div> </div><div>Output of coal and crude oil registered a growth of 0.1 per cent and 1.9 per cent against (-) 6.1 per cent and (-) 4 per cent, respectively.</div><div> </div><div>Steel production recorded a marginal growth of 4.8 per cent, while the expansion in cement production slowed to 2.3 per cent. Natural gas registered a negative growth of 4.4 per cent and refinery products generation expanded 3.2 per cent.</div><div> </div><div>Showing a ray of hope, industrial output entered positive territory and recorded a 0.1 per cent growth in January after contracting for three months in a row.<br /><br />(Agencies)</div>
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