India’s Infrastructure Growth Surges to 7.9% in September as Iron Ore Output Jumps 18.4%

India’s infrastructure sector recorded a sharp improvement in September, with output across eight key industries growing 7.9%, compared with 3.1% in the same month last year, as strong performances by iron ore, electricity and cement boosted overall growth.

The latest data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday showed that core sector growth accelerated from 5.9% in August, indicating stronger momentum across several major industries that support the country’s infrastructure and industrial activity.

Iron ore production led the expansion, rising 18.4% year-on-year, followed by electricity generation, which increased 11.4%. Coal output grew 10.7%, while refinery products recorded an increase of 10.3%.

Cement production, a key indicator of construction and infrastructure activity, expanded 9.8% in September. Steel output also registered growth, rising 4.9% compared with the corresponding month last year.

However, the improvement was not uniform across all eight core industries. Fertiliser production contracted 11.7%, marking the steepest decline among the sectors. Natural gas output fell 4.6%, while crude oil production declined 1.4%, highlighting continued weakness in these segments.

The eight core industries, coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity, account for 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), making their performance an important indicator of broader industrial activity.

For the April-September period of the current financial year, cumulative core sector growth stood at 5.1%, more than double the 2.5% recorded during the corresponding period a year earlier.