The output of eight infrastructure sectors expanded by 4.4 <g data-gr-id="49">per cent</g> in May, the highest growth rate in past six months, on the back of <g data-gr-id="42">upsurge</g> in <g data-gr-id="43">production</g> of coal and refinery products.
The output of eight core sectors had declined in the previous two months of March and April. The core sectors had expanded at a rate of 3.8 <g data-gr-id="25">per cent</g> in May 2014.
The growth in May 2015 was driven by <g data-gr-id="39">healthy</g> output of coal (7.8 per cent), refinery products (7.9 per cent) and electricity generation (5.5 per cent). Crude oil production increased by 0.8 per cent while steel and cement grew by 2.6 per cent. Fertiliser output grew by 1.3 per cent.
Natural gas, however, recorded a negative growth of 3.1 <g data-gr-id="23">per cent</g> in May 2015.
In March and April, the eight sectors, which contribute 38 per cent to overall industrial production, had declined by 0.1 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively. The core sectors’ growth rate in May this year is the highest since November <g data-gr-id="41">2014,</g> when these segments had expanded by 6.7 per cent.
During April-May period of the current fiscal, the sectors’ output expanded by 2.1 per cent as against 4.7 <g data-gr-id="24">per cent</g> in the same period last year.
The overall growth of eight core industries in the entire 2014-15 fiscal stood at 3.5 per cent against 4.2 per cent in the previous fiscal.
The growth rate of core sector industries was on a decline since November last year. It was 6.7 per cent in November 2014, which fell to 2.4 per cent in December 2014 and then to 1.8 <g data-gr-id="35">per cent</g> in January and 1.4 <g data-gr-id="36">per cent</g> in February.
21 states have appointed commissioners to push exports
After the Centre’s nudge for taking steps to promote exports, as many as 21 states have appointed export commissioners while 14 have framed strategies for outward shipments. Seeking to involve states for promoting exports, the Commerce Ministry had asked them to appoint commissioners and prepare <g data-gr-id="74">export</g> strategy.
“The ministry is taking steps to actively involve states role in increasing exports. In order to achieve the $900 billion exports target by 2019-20, we need to mainstream trade into states and states into trade,” an official said. 21 states have intimated about <g data-gr-id="71">appointment</g> of export commissioners and 14, including Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, have sent their export strategies, he added.