September 2026 core-industry release: Provisional estimates using base year 2022-23.
Principal findings from the September 2026 index release
Year-on-year core-industry growth reached 7.9 per cent in September 2026, compared with September 2025. This Provisional result was above August 2026 growth of 5.9 per cent, now marked Final.
September 2026 growth was led by gains in iron ore, at 18.4 per cent, and electricity, at 11.4 per cent. Coal rose 10.7 per cent and refinery products 10.3 per cent. Cement and steel increased 9.8 and 4.9 per cent respectively, while fertilisers, natural gas and crude oil contracted.
Coal, refinery products, steel and iron ore have been important contributors to the index’s recent overall expansion.
For April–September 2026, cumulative growth was 5.1 per cent on a Provisional basis. The comparable period a year earlier recorded 2.5 per cent.
Charts 1 through 4 present the 13-month index and growth trend, sector indices and growth for August and September 2026, and contributions to September 2026 growth.
Chart 2 compares sector index levels for August and September 2026.
Chart 3 compares sector growth in August and September 2026.
Chart 4 displays each sector’s contribution to overall expansion.
August 2026 now has a final index of 120.4, replacing the earlier 119.2 Provisional estimate. Its year-on-year growth was consequently revised to 5.9 per cent from 4.8 per cent.
The accompanying index and annual-growth series cover the latest 13 months in the initial annexures. Monthly data beginning April 2023 are available on the Office of the Economic Adviser’s portal at https://eaindustry.nic.in/ici_download_data.asp).
Further annexures provide annual and cumulative index levels and their year-on-year changes.
The regular schedule publishes a reference month’s Provisional index on the 20th of the following month, moving to the next working day where needed. October 2026 figures are scheduled for Friday, 20th November 2026.
Table 1 contains core-industry index levels over 13 months.
Table 2 presents year-on-year growth across 13 months.
Table 3 provides the annual and cumulative core-industry index.
April–September 2026 figures remain Provisional.
Table 4 gives annual and cumulative year-on-year growth.