New Delhi, May 20 -- India's core infrastructure sector growth rose 1.7% year-on-year in April, up from 1.2% in March, driven by strong output in steel, cement and electricity, even as five of the eight core industries remained in contraction.

The index of eight core industries, which tracks coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity, accounts for 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), a broader measure of factory output in the economy.

According to provisional data released by the commerce and industry ministry on Tuesday, output in several energy-linked sectors remained weak in April. Coal production contracted 8.7% year-on-year, while crude oil output declined 3.9% and nat...