Infra tracker: Core sector progress slows to 1.7% in June; metal, cement & refinery merchandise output gained

Development in India’s eight core infrastructure sectors slowed to 1.7% in June 2025, down from 5% in the identical month final 12 months, as 5 of the eight sectors, together with coal and electrical energy, registered a contraction, based on official knowledge launched on Monday.Whereas marginally higher than the 1.2% progress recorded in Could 2025, the newest numbers level to a broader weak spot in industrial exercise. In the course of the April–June quarter, core sector output rose simply 1.3%, in comparison with 6.2% within the corresponding interval final fiscal, PTI reported.Key segments corresponding to coal (-6.8%), electrical energy (-2.8%), pure fuel (-2.8%), crude oil (-1.2%) and fertilisers (-1.2%) registered detrimental progress in June, dragging down general efficiency.Nevertheless, robust positive factors in metal (9.3%), cement (9.2%) and refinery merchandise (3.4%) helped offset deeper contraction.The core sectors—coal, crude oil, pure fuel, refinery merchandise, fertilisers, metal, cement, and electrical energy—comprise 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Manufacturing (IIP) and are seen as a key indicator of commercial exercise.