Core sector activity contracts 0.4% in March 2026 on West Asia impact, worst in 19 months
The steel sector saw growth slump to an 18-month low of 2.2% in March 2026, while the cement sector slowed to a 17-month low of 4%.
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Activity in India’s eight core industrial sectors contracted by 0.4% in March 2026, the first month after the war in West Asia broke out, according to data released by the government. This was the poorest performance for the sectors in 19-months.
The data on the Index of Eight Core Industries released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday (April 20, 2026) also showed that growth in the index stood at 2.6% for the full year 2025-26, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.
Published – April 20, 2026 06:59 pm IST
