India’s infrastructure output rose 7.9% year-on-year in September 2026, marking the fastest expansion since November 2023 and accelerating from an upwardly revised 5.9% increase in August. The improvement was led by a strong rebound in coal production, which climbed 10.7% after a 3.8% decline in the previous month. Output of iron ore and steel also strengthened notably, with iron ore growth jumping to 18.4% from 5.5% and steel output rising 4.9% compared with 3.5% earlier. In addition, growth in refined petroleum products picked up sharply, to 10.3% from 5.6%.
By contrast, production of several other energy-related items remained in contraction, although the pace of decline moderated. Crude oil output fell 1.4% after a 3.6% drop, while natural gas production was down 4.6% following a 4.9% decrease. Fertilizer output also continued to shrink, declining 11.7% compared with a 12.4% fall in the prior month.