New Delhi, April 20 : The combined index of India's eight core infrastructure industries declined 0.4 per cent in March this year compared to the same month of the previous year, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday.

While the production of natural gas, steel, and cement went up during the month, the output of fertilisers, crude oil, coal, and electricity recorded a negative growth, according to a ministry statement.

The final growth rate of the eight core industries for February was observed at 2.8 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of the combined index during April to March, 2025-26, now works out to 2.6 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

Steel production recorded a 2.2 per cent increase in March over the same month of the previous year, while the cement sector clocked a 4 per cent growth during the month as demand for these products was maintained due to large government investments in big-ticket infrastructure projects.

The production of natural gas increased by 6.4 per cent during March as the output was stepped up following the disruption in gas supplies from the Middle East due to the Iran war. The government has also been encouraging consumers to switch to natural gas from LPG as supplies have been hit due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The production of petroleum products also increased marginally by 0. 1 per cent during March as the government maintained supplies of petrol, diesel and jet fuel at the normal level.

Coal production decreased by 4 per cent in March over the same month of the previous year, while electricity generation declined by 0.5 per cent.

Crude oil fell by 5.7 per cent during the month, while fertiliser production declined by 24.6 per cent in March compared to the same month of the previous year.

The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) measures the combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries--coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, and electricity. The eight core industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and are a good indicator of the overall industrial growth in the economy.

/IANS