Showing no signs of improvement, the output of eight core infrastructure industries contracted for the fourth consecutive month in November by 1.5%, according to official data released on Tuesday. The output of coal, crude oil, natural gas, steel, and electricity declined by 2.5%, 6%, 6.4%, 3.7% and 5.7% respectively, according to the data. The core sectors had expanded by 3.3% in November 2018. The output of refinery products and fertilizer increased by 3.1% and 13.6% respectively in November 2019. During the April-November period, the core industries recorded flat growth (zero%) against 5.1% in the year-ago period.

Source: The Hindu December 31, 2019 18:17 UTC