India's core sector output will grow 5% in June 2026, the highest in five months

India's nine infrastructure industries designated as "core sectors" recorded five percent year-on-year growth in June 2026, the fastest growth rate in five months, according to government data released on Tuesday, July 21.

Traditionally, the eight core industries are coal, crude oil, natural gas, refined products, fertilizers, steel, cement and power, and the new series added iron ore to the list.

The data also marked the debut of the revised Major Industries Index with a base year of 2022-23, replacing the older 2011-12 series.

The government said iron ore performed outstandingly in its index debut, rising by 43.9 percent year-on-year in June 2026.

This was followed by power and cement, both rising. 9.8 percent. Steel production growth slowed to 4.6 percent in June from 5.1 percent in the previous month.

Coal rose 1.4 percent, compared with a 9.5 percent contraction in May due to monsoon rains.

Natural gas production, however, fell 7.4 percent, crude oil fell 4.2 percent, and refined products fell 7.4 percent. by 4.7 percent, and fertilizer production fell 3.3 percent from the previous year.

I am an economics graduate from the University of Calcutta and have three decades of experience reporting for leading print publications covering key manufacturing sectors such as iron and steel, energy (fossil and renewable), chemical and petrochemical, as well as mining industries (coal, bauxite, iron ore and copper). I work as a correspondent for SteelOrbis, covering the Indian steel industry, covering pricing and trading trends across the value chain, capacity creation and utilization, corporate developments, government policy frameworks and industry news.