New Delhi, June 22 -- India's combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) slowed down in May, registering a growth of 0.5 per cent as against 1.8 per cent posted in April, as per the data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Monday.

Despite the slowdown, the production of steel, cement, and electricity recorded positive growth last month, as per the release. The Index of Eight Core Industries includes coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. Furthermore, the Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

"The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 0.5 per cent (provisional) i...