Manufacturing pulls up index of industrial output to 6.5%

Robust performance of the manufacturing sector pulled up the index of industrial production (IIP) to 6.5 per cent in September 2003 compared to a 6.2 per cent growth registered during the corresponding period in the previous year. The IIP posted a growth of 5.8 per cent in the first-half (April-September) of the current fiscal compared to 5.4 per cent registered in comparable period of the previous fiscal.

The manufacturing sector grew at 6.8 per cent in September despite a high base of 7.6 per cent growth registered in the same month last year. The mining sector grew at 4.4 per cent during the month as against a 1 per cent growth registered in September 2002 while the electricity sector posted a 5 per cent growth in the September this compared to a negative growth of 0.4 per cent the same month last year.

In the April-September 2003-04 period, the manufacturing sector registered a growth of 6.3 per cent compared to a 5.5 per cent growth recorded in the comparable period of the previous year. The electricity sector grew at 5.8 per cent in the six month period compared to 5.4 per cent in April-September 2002-03. The mining sector registered a growth of 4.2 per cent in the first six months of the current fiscal against a 6.5 per cent growth posted in the comparable period of 2002-03. In the use-based category, capital goods recorded a sharp growth of 9.1 per cent in September compared to a higher growth of 16.6 per cent recorded in September 2002. ENS