India's infrastructure output increased by four per cent year-on-year in June, down from a revised growth of 6.4 per cent in May, according to government data released on Wednesday. Infrastructure, which constitutes 40 per cent of India's industrial production, encompasses eight key sectors including refinery products and electricity. While some sectors exhibited growth, the overall pace of expansion moderated compared to the previous month. Coal production increased by 14.8 per cent in June, followed by electricity generation at 7.7 per cent. These figures represent a decline from the 10.2 per cent and 13.7 per cent growth rates achieved in May, respectively. Steel production grew by 2.7 per cent in June, a significant slowdown from the 6.8 per cent increase recorded in the preceding month. Natural gas output also experienced a similar trend, rising by 3.3 per cent compared to the 7.5 per cent growth in May. On the other hand, cement production rebounded with a 1.9 per cent increase, reversing the 0.6 per cent decline in May. Fertiliser production also showed improvement, growing by 2.4 per cent after a 1.7 per cent contraction in the previous month. However, the performance of the refinery products sector was disappointing, with a 1.5 per cent decline compared to the 0.5 per cent growth in May. Crude oil production also continued its downward trajectory, falling by 2.6 per cent following a 1.1 per cent drop in the previous month. Attribution: Reuters
