India’s infrastructure-related industrial output increased 5.4% year-on-year in July 2026, according to government data, with cement and coal production recording strong growth during the month.
The latest figures cover nine core industries under India’s revised Index of Industrial Production framework. The sectors include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, electricity and iron ore.
Cement production recorded the strongest growth among several major sectors, increasing 13.1% year-on-year in July.
Coal production grew 7.6%, while iron ore output increased 29.5%.
Electricity generation increased 9% during the month, although the pace of growth was slower than in June.
Steel production increased 2.9%, while refinery products grew 2.7% after recording a contraction in June.
Not all sectors recorded growth. Crude oil output declined 5.3%, natural gas production fell 3.7% and fertiliser production declined 8%.
The data provides an indication of the varied performance across India’s industrial infrastructure base.
Core industries are closely linked to the wider manufacturing and construction ecosystem. Higher cement production, for example, supports construction and infrastructure activity, while growth in steel and iron ore production is linked to manufacturing, engineering and capital investment.
Electricity generation is similarly connected to industrial activity because manufacturing facilities, mines, refineries and process plants depend on reliable power supplies.
The July figures also reflect the growing importance of iron ore in India’s industrial production statistics. The revised index introduced iron ore as the ninth core industry and uses 2022–23 as the new base year.
For industrial companies, the performance of these sectors provides an important indicator of demand for equipment, engineering services, construction activity and plant infrastructure.
The cumulative growth of India’s nine core industries during April-July 2026 was 4.3% compared with the same period of the previous year.
The data indicates continued expansion across several parts of India’s industrial infrastructure, although performance remains uneven between individual sectors.
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