Provisional Core Industries Index for July 2026
India's Index of Core Industries (ICI) registered a growth of 5.4% year-on-year in July 2026 according to provisional estimates, slightly moderating from the revised growth of 6.0% recorded in June 2026. The final index for June 2026 was revised upward to 120.7 from the provisional estimate of 119.6, resulting in the growth rate revision from 5.0% to 6.0%.
Sectoral Performance Breakdown
The July 2026 performance showed significant divergence across the eight core industries. Iron Ore production led with robust growth of 29.5% year-on-year, followed by Cement at 13.1% and Electricity at 9.0%. Coal production grew by 7.6%, while Steel and Refinery Products recorded moderate growth of 2.9% and 2.7% respectively. However, three sectors contracted: Natural Gas declined by 3.7%, Crude Oil production fell by 5.3%, and Fertilizers output decreased by 8.0%.
Cumulative Performance and Historical Context
The cumulative growth rate for the April-July 2026 period stood at 4.3% (provisional), significantly higher than the 1.5% growth recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year. The overall ICI index value for July 2026 reached 121.2 on a provisional basis. The data release follows the standard schedule, with the provisional index for a reference month being released on the 20th of the following month (or next working day), meaning the ICI for August 2026 will be released on September 21, 2026.
Weighted Composition and Historical Data
The ICI comprises eight core industries with varying weights: Electricity (30.932%), Refinery Products (22.572%), Steel (17.584%), Coal (5.596%), Cement (4.41%), Iron Ore (4.905%), Natural Gas (3.841%), and Fertilizers (2.731%). Historical data shows that Iron Ore, Electricity, and Cement have been the major drivers of overall ICI growth during recent months. The index uses 2022-23 as the base year, and all data from April 2023 onward is available on the official portal.