The Index of Core Industries (ICI) grew by 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, according to provisional estimates released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The growth was slightly lower than the 5.0 per cent recorded in July 2026, after the final July index was revised from 121.2 to 120.8.
Among the eight core industries, cement, electricity, iron ore, steel and refinery products recorded positive growth in August. Cement output grew by 12.5 per cent, electricity by 11.6 per cent, iron ore by 5.5 per cent, steel by 3.4 per cent and refinery products by 2.6 per cent.
On the other hand, coal, natural gas, crude oil and fertilisers recorded negative growth during the month.
The ministry said iron ore, electricity and cement have been major contributors to the overall growth of the Index of Core Industries in recent months.
The cumulative growth of the core industries during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The eight core industries comprise coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity and together account for the core sector index.
The data for August 2026 is provisional. The provisional ICI for September 2026 is scheduled to be released on October 21, 2026.
