Core sectors slow down

Cement, the only sector that has outperformed last year8217;s growth numbers this year, has also hit a blip, growing at 7.8 per cent in November 2005 compared to an 11.4 per cent growth in Nov 2004.

Electricity generation, that has the highest weightage in the index of industrial production, has grown only by 2.7 per cent in Nov 2005, as compared to 3.4 per cent in Nov 2004. In the eight months from April to Nov 2005, electricity generation growth has been 4.9 per cent compared to a 6.7 per cent growth in the same period last year. Crude petroleum and petroleum refinery products have both seen negative growth from April till Nov 2005 of 5.7 per cent and 0.7 per cent, respectively. This is a far cry from the 3.3 per cent jump in crude petroleum production and a 6.3 per cent increase in petroleum refinery products over April-Nov 2004.