New Delhi, Jul 31 (IANS): The eight core industries that include sectors such as coal, cement, steel and electricity posted a 4 per cent growth in June this year compared to the same month of the previous year, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday.

Coal production posted a robust double-digit growth of 14.8 per cent in June, compared to the same month last year, as the output from the country's mines was stepped up to meet the increasing demand for power plants amid the scorching heat wave.

Electricity generation also increased by 7.7 per cent during the month.

Natural Gas production increased by 3.3 per cent in June, helping the country to use more of the green fuel in the transport sector and household kitchens.

Fertiliser output during the month increased by 2.4 per cent while steel production also went up by 2.7 per cent. However, crude oil production declined by 2.6 per cent in June

These eight core industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and give a pointer to the overall industrial growth rate.

The Commerce and Industry also said that the final growth rate of the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for March 2024 has been revised to 6.3 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of ICI during April to June, 2024-25 now works out to 5.7 per cent as compared to the corresponding period last year.