New Delhi, March 20 -- India's core infrastructure sector grew to 2.3% year-on-year in February, slowing from the revised 4.7% expansion recorded in January, as weakness in crude oil and natural gas capped gains in construction-linked segments. The combined index of eight core industries stood at 166.7 in February 2026, up from 163.0 a year earlier and down from 182.0 in January, provisional data released by the commerce and industry ministry on Friday showed.

That indicates sequential improvement despite a softer annual growth rate. The eight core sectors-coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity-together account for 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), underscoring their ...