India’s Eight Core Industries Grow 1.7% in April 2026, Led by Cement, Steel and Electricity

India’s eight core infrastructure industries recorded a 1.7% year-on-year growth in April 2026, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The expansion was supported mainly by higher production in cement, steel and electricity, three sectors closely linked with construction activity, infrastructure creation, industrial demand and power consumption.

The Index of Eight Core Industries tracks the performance of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity. These sectors are important because they together carry a 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production, making the core industries index an early indicator of broader industrial momentum in the economy.

The April 2026 numbers show a mixed but important picture. While some energy-linked sectors reported contraction, the strong performance of cement, steel and electricity indicates continuing activity in construction, infrastructure, manufacturing and power demand. This is especially significant because cement and steel are foundation materials for roads, bridges, housing, ports, railways, factories and urban development.

Among the eight sectors, cement recorded the strongest growth at 9.4% in April 2026 compared with April 2025. This points to sustained demand from construction and infrastructure projects. Cement’s cumulative growth during April–March 2025-26 stood at 8.7%, showing that the sector maintained a healthy expansion over the full financial year as well.

Steel production grew by 6.2% in April 2026 over the same month last year. Steel is one of the most important indicators of industrial strength because it is used across infrastructure, automobiles, machinery, capital goods, defence manufacturing, railways, energy projects and real estate. The sector’s cumulative growth for April–March 2025-26 was even stronger at 9.5%, underlining India’s continuing industrial and infrastructure push.

Electricity generation increased by 4.1% in April 2026, reflecting higher demand from households, businesses, agriculture, services and industry. Electricity has the second-highest weight among the eight core industries after refinery products, so its positive performance helped support the overall index. The cumulative growth of electricity generation during April–March 2025-26 stood at 1.0%.

However, the data also shows pressure in some sectors. Coal production declined by 8.7%, while crude oil fell by 3.9% and natural gas declined by 4.3% in April 2026 compared with April 2025. Petroleum refinery products also registered a slight decline of 0.5%, while fertilizer production was down 8.6% during the month.

Even with these sectoral contractions, the overall index remained positive because of the strong performance of steel, cement and electricity. This makes the April 2026 core industries data a story of uneven but continuing industrial expansion. The sectors most directly tied to infrastructure and construction remained in growth territory, while some energy and input sectors showed weaker output.

The government also revised the final growth rate of the Index of Eight Core Industries for March 2026 to 1.2%. For the full financial year April 2025 to March 2026, the cumulative growth rate of the eight core industries stood at 2.7% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

The data is provisional for April 2026 and may be revised as updated figures are received from source agencies. The Ministry has also stated that the next release, covering the index for May 2026, will be issued on 22 June 2026.

Overall, the April 2026 core industries figures show that India’s infrastructure-linked sectors continue to provide support to the industrial economy. Cement, steel and electricity remain the strongest signals in the latest data, suggesting that the country’s construction, infrastructure and power-demand cycle is still active. At the same time, the decline in coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and fertilizers shows the need for continued monitoring of energy and input-sector trends in the coming months.