Core sector growth rebounds

In what could put some smile back on the faces of policymakers at the Centre, India Inc. and the financial markets, growth in the country's six crucial infrastructure industries has improved in September from August. The rebound in the performance of the six core sectors in September over the preceding month came on the back of better output growth logged by Coal, Cement and Electricity, data released by the Government showed. The Index of six core-infrastructure industries, having a combined weight of 26.7% in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), stood at 237.9 in September and registered a growth of 5.1% compared to a growth of 5.8 % in September 2007. This was much better than August's disappointing growth of just 2.7%. During April-September 2008-09, the six core-infrastructure industries registered a growth of 3.9% as against 6.9% during the corresponding period of the previous year, the Commerce & Industry Ministry said today.