Factory Output Growth Slumps To 2% From 7% A Year Earlier

Industrial production, measured by the estimate of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) slowed down to 2 per cent in June compared with an expansion of 7 per cent same month last year, according to data released by Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation. The industrial production growth has been slowing steadily as it registered a growth of 3.1 per cent in May.

The factory output growth declined in June on account of poor show by mining and manufacturing sectors, according to official data released on Friday.

The data however surpassed analysts' estimates as analysts polled by Reuters had forecast June industrial output growth at 1.5 per cent.

The cumulative growth for the April-June period that is the first quarter of current financial year over the corresponding period of the previous year stood at 3.6 per cent.

There was a slowdown in the manufacturing sector, which grew at 1.2 per cent in June as compared to 6.9 per cent a year ago.

The expansion in power generation sector stood at 8.2 per cent, compared to 8.5 per cent earlier.

Mining growth dropped to 1.6 per cent in June from 6.5 per cent in the corresponding month of the last fiscal.

(With agency inputs)