Official data reveals that India’s eight core sector industries experienced a growth slowdown to 6.7% in February, attributed partly to underperformance in sectors like fertiliser. Despite this, the growth rate marks a sequential increase from the previous three months. Notably, coal, crude oil, natural gas, and cement production showed robust growth, while refinery products, steel, and electricity declined. Analysts anticipate a 6.0-6.5% expansion in the Index of Industrial Production for February 2024, reflecting the improved core sector performance.