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Output in India's eight core infrastructure sectors reached a seven-month high in December, though year-on-year growth slowed from 4.4% in November to 4%.
Seven out of eight sectors improved compared to December 2023, with crude oil showing a slight 0.6% increase after a seven-month contraction, but natural gas production dropped by 1.8%.
Sequentially, all eight sectors showed higher production than November, with coal, steel, and cement at their highest levels since March 2024, and refinery products and fertilizers at 13-month peaks.
For the first nine months of 2024-25, core sector growth was 4.2%, slower than 8.3% in the same period of 2023-24.
Crude oil output saw a further decline, down 2.1% in 2024-25 compared to last year.
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