Industrial production falls in July

The manufacturing sector accounting for more than three-fourths of the weightage in the IIP fell quite sharply to 5.1 per cent in July this year as against 6.8 per cent registered last year. The cumulative growth in the manufacturing sector during April-July also declined to 5.7 per cent compared to 6.7 per cent in the previous year.

The mining sector, however, continued its upward trend and recorded a growth of 0.7 per cent in July 2000 compared to 0.1 per cent in the same month last year. The four-month performance was even better at three per cent as against negative 0.9 per cent in April-July last year.

Electricity sector recorded a growth of one per cent during July compared to 6.2 per cent in July 1999, IIP figures said, adding that April-July growth fell marginally at four per cent compared to 4.9 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

In the use-based classification, the performance of capital goods segment remained subdued at negative one per cent in July 2000 compared to 14.6 per cent in the same month last year. The cumulative growth of capital goods sector also fell to negative 0.3 per cent in April-July period compared to 11.6 per cent last year.

The performance in the basic goods sector saw a decline in the growth rate at 2.9 per cent in July compared to 5.3 per cent registered in the last year. But the cumulative growth in April-July appreciated to 4.7 per cent as against 3.8 per cent last year. The consumer durable segment reported a higher growth in July at 23 per cent compared to 18.9 per cent in July 1999.

During April-July, the growth in the consumer durable sector stood at 23.3 per cent as against 14.5 per cent in the same period last year. The consumer non-durables segment came out of red in the month of July by registering a positive growth of 1.3 per cent as against negative 0.5 per cent last year. The cumulative growth in first four months of 2000-01 also improved to 3.8 per cent as against negative 0.6 per cent posted last year.