India’s eight key infrastructure sectors’ output slowed down to 4 per cent in January. Earlier in January 2025, the eight key infrastructure sectors’ output growth was at 5.1 per cent. The same was 4.7 per cent in December 2025.
The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), which tracks activity across eight sectors, including cement, steel, electricity, crude oil, coal, natural gas, fertilisers, and accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s industrial production.
The January slowdown in infrastructure was primarily due to declines in crude oil, natural gas, and refinery production.
ICI’s final growth rate for December 2025 was 4.7 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of ICI during April 2025 to January, 2026 is 2.8 per cent (provisional) as compared to the corresponding period of last financial year.
Cement sector
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry shows that Cement output rose 10.7 per cent year-on-year in January, compared with a revised 13.7% year-on-year increase in December.
Steel Sector
India’s steel production increased 9.9 per cent year-on-year in January as compared to a revised 10.1 per cent year-on-year growth a month ago.
Electricity sector
Electricity generation rose 3.8 per cent year-on-year in January as compared to a revised increase of 6.3 per cent year-on-year in December.
Crude oil
Crude oil output fell 5.8 per cent year-on-year in January, compared with a 5.6 per cent year-on-year decline in the prior month.
Natural gas
Natural gas production declined 5 per cent year-on-year in January as compared to a drop of 4.4 per cent year-on-year in December.
Fertilizer production
India’s fertiliser production rose 3.7 per cent year-on-year in January as compared to a 4.1 per cent year-on-year rise in December.
Coal production
Coal production rose 3.1 per cent year-on-year in January as compared to an increase of 3.6 per cent year-on-year in December.
Refinery sector
Refinery products output was flat in January, after a 1 per cent year-on-year decline in December.
