New Delhi: The coal sector showed the highest growth of 14.8% among the eight core industries in June 2024, according to the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) with a base year of 2011-12, released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industries.

The coal industry's index reached 186.4 points in June 2024, up from 162.4 points in the same month last year.

Additionally, its cumulative index increased by 10.8% from April to June 2024-25 compared to the same period the previous year.

The ICI measures the combined and individual production performance of eight core industries, viz. cement, coal, crude oil, electricity, fertilizers, natural gas, refinery products, and steel.

The Combined Index of Eight Core Industries experienced a notable 4.0% increase in June 2024, compared to the same period of previous year, underscoring the coal sector's substantial contribution to overall industrial expansion.

The driving force behind this remarkable growth can be attributed to a significant surge in coal production during June 2024, with output reaching an impressive 84.71 million tonnes (provisional), marking a remarkable increase of 14.6 % compared to the same period in the previous year, the coal ministry said.

This surge in production underscores the sector's capacity to meet growing demand of energy and manufacturing industries.