India's December industrial output rises at fastest pace in over 2 years

January 28, 2026 5:55 AM EST

A worker checks the gauge of a steel bar inside a steel factory on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, January 28, 2026. REUTERS/Amit Dave

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - ⁠India's industrial ⁠output ‍rose at its fastest pace in more than two years in December, driven by strong manufacturing ‍and mining activity, government data showed on Wednesday.

Industrial ​output grew 7.8% year-on-year in December, as against a revised 7.2% ​growth in November.

Economists polled by Reuters projected industrial output expanding 5.5%.

The better-than-expected growth was driven largely by the manufacturing output, likely aided by ​post-festival season restocking, said Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ICRA. Industrial output growth is expected to decelerate to ​6-7% in January 2026, she added.

India's festival season generally runs from September to ‌November.

KEY NUMBERS

* Manufacturing output grew 8.1% year-on-year in December, as against a revised increase of 8.5% ​in November

* Electricity generation rose 6.3% ⁠year-on-year in December, as compared to a 1.5% decline a month ago

* Mining activity registered ‌an increase of 6.8% year-on-year in December against a revised 5.8% rise in November

* Output of consumer durables, including cars and ‌phones, rose 12.3% year-on-year in December, as compared to a revised ‌11.2% year-on-year growth a month ago

* Output of consumer non-durables, such as food items and toiletries, rose 8.3% year-on-year in December, as ‍against a revised 8% growth in November

* Capital goods output increased 8.1% year-on-year in December ⁠against a revised 10.1% growth a month ago

* Industrial output in April-December grew 3.9% as compared to a revised increase of 4.1% a year earlier.

(Reporting by Nikunj Ohri; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar and Harikrishnan Nair)



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