India's Industrial production stands at 4.4 percent

The cumulative growth for the period April-March 2017-18 over the corresponding period of the previous year stands at 4.3 percent.

The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of March 2018 stand at 131.3, 138.6 and 156.7 respectively, with the corresponding growth rates of 2.8 percent, 4.4 percent and 5.9 percent as compared to March 2017 (Statement I). The cumulative growth in these three sectors during April-March 2017-18 over the corresponding period of 2016-17 has been 2.3 percent, 4.5 percent and 5.4 percent respectively.

In terms of industries, eleven out of the twenty three industry groups (as per 2-digit NIC-2008) in the manufacturing sector have shown positive growth during the month of March 2018 as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year (Statement II). The industry group ‘Manufacture of furniture’ has shown the highest positive growth of 41.5 percent followed by 20.6 percent in ‘Manufacture of food products’ and 17.2 percent in ‘Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers’. On the other hand, the industry group ‘Other manufacturing’ has shown the highest negative growth of (-) 30.7 percent followed by (-) 20.6 percent in ‘Manufacture of tobacco products’ and (-) 18.6 percent in ‘Manufacture of wearing apparel’.

As per Use-based classification, the growth rates in March 2018 over March 2017 are 2.9 percent in Primary goods, (-) 1.8 percent in Capital goods, 2.1 percent in Intermediate goods and 8.8 percent in Infrastructure/ Construction Goods (Statement III).  The Consumer durables and Consumer non-durables have recorded growth of 2.9 percent and 10.9 percent respectively.

Some important item groups showing high positive growth during the current month over the same month in previous year include ‘Stainless steel utensils’ (95.5%), ‘Sugar’ (78.2%), ‘Axle’ (51.8%), ‘Rim (wheel)’ (45.6%), ‘Bars and Rods of Alloy and Stainless Steel’ (44.0%), ‘Separators including decanter centrifuge’ (41.8%), Vaccine for veterinary medicine’ (38.8%), ‘Digestive enzymes and antacids (incl. PPI drugs)’ (32.1%), ‘API & formulations of vitamins’ (25.9%) and ‘Commercial Vehicles’ (24.7%).

Some important item groups that have registered high negative growth include ‘Hand Tools incl. interchangeable tools, not mechanised’ [(-) 67.6%], ‘Jewellery of gold (studded with stones or not)’ [(-) 66.5%], ‘Material handling, lifting and hoisting equipment’ [(-) 56.1%], ‘Generators/ Alternators’ [(-) 54.7%], ‘Printing machinery’      [(-) 47.6%], ‘Other tobacco products’  [(-) 40.6%], ‘Paper of all kinds excluding newsprint’ [(-) 40.4%], ‘Bags/ pouches of HDPE/ LDPE (plastic)’ [(-) 39.3%], ‘Plastic components of packing/ closing/ bottling articles & of electrical fittings’ [(-) 32.2%], ‘Readymade Garments, knitted’ [(-) 30.2%] and ‘Anti-pyretic, analgesic/anti-inflammatory API & formulations’ [(-)29.9%].