CORE SECTOR INDUSTRIES

       Why in news: the core sector of Indian economy speeds to 12.1% growth

These are the most important sectors of the economy and constitute 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

• The Index of eight core industries (ICI) is prepared every month by the Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Core industries include eight sectors of the Indian economy that are mentioned below:
  • Coal – Coal production, excluding Coking coal.
  • Electricity – Electricity generation of thermal, nuclear, hydro, imports from Bhutan.
  • Crude Oil – Total crude oil production.
  • Cement – Production in large plants and mini plants.
  • Natural Gas – Total production of natural gas.
  • Steel – Production of alloy and non-alloy steel only.
  • Refinery Products – Total refinery production.
  • Fertilizer – Urea, ammonium sulphate, calcium ammonium nitrate, complex grade fertilizer, and single superphosphate, among others.

• The Eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their weightage are Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers

• They are so-called as are considered to be the backbone of all other industries. The core sectors have a significant impact on the economy and impact most other industries as well.