Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)

Prelims: Current events of national and international relations | Economy

Why in News?

The reports on the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for November 2025 were released recently.

ICI – It measures the combined and individual performance of the production of 8 core industries, which serve as a lead indicator for overall industrial growth.

8 Core Industries – Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilisers, Steel, Cement and Electricity.

Compiled by – Office of the Economic Adviser, it shows monthly performance, with weights varying by sector.
Base Year – 2011-2012.
Weight in IIP – These eight industries together account for 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

Key Highlights

Growth Rate – For November 2025, shows a 1.8% growth compared to November 2024, with positive contributions from Cement, Steel, Fertiliser, and Coal.
The final growth rate of the Index for October 2025 was observed at (-) 0.1%.
Cumulative growth rate – During April to November, 2025-26 is 2.4% (provisional) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

High-Performing Indian States & Countries

Sectors	Leading Producer (in India)	Leading Countries
Coal	Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha	China, India, USA
Crude Oil	Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan	Saudi Arabia, USA, Russia
Natural Gas	Gujarat, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh	USA, Russia, Qatar
Refinery Products	Gujarat, Maharashtra (Jamnagar (Reliance) is the world’s largest refinery complex)	USA, China, India (USA has massive refining capacity; India’s Jamnagar is global-scale)
Fertilizers	Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh	China, USA, Russia
Steel	Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand	China, India, Japan
Cement	Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat	China, India, Vietnam
Electricity	Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu (Maharashtra leads in thermal; TN in renewables (wind, solar).	China, USA, India

References