India's Core Industries Grow 3.7% in December 2025, Cement Leads Surge

• India's Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) rose 3.7% year-on-year in December 2025, up from 2.1% in November.
• Cement production surged by 13.5%, driven by infrastructure and construction demand.
• Steel output increased by 6.9%, and electricity generation grew by 5.3%.
• Crude oil production declined by 5.6%, natural gas by 4.4%, and petroleum refinery output slipped by 1.0%.
• Cumulative growth for April-December 2025-26 period was 2.6%, with strong gains in cement and steel offset by declines in oil and gas.

Why It Matters: India's core industries show mild recovery in December 2025, led by cement and steel, despite oil and gas struggles.