UPSC Notes

Index of Core Industries (ICI)

PYQs

9

Articles

2

Momentum

25

Phase IFoundation

Background

Overview

Understanding ICI is crucial for analyzing India's industrial performance, identifying bottlenecks, and evaluating the effectiveness of economic policies. It's a direct and frequently cited measure of economic health and infrastructure development.

The Index of Core Industries (ICI) is a monthly production index that measures the collective and individual performance of nine key infrastructure sectors of the Indian economy. It serves as a lead indicator of industrial activity and overall economic health, providing insights into the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.

Phase IIStatic core

Facts & tables

Key facts

Measures

Production performance of nine key infrastructure sectors (previously eight).

Weight in IIP

Accounts for about 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

Publishing Body

Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Recent Update

Base year updated to 2018-19 (from 2011-12), Iron Ore added as a new sector, and weights revised (e.g., Electricity >30%, Coal ~5.6%, Natural Gas ~3.8%).

Components

Comprises 8 sectors: Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.

Publishing Authority

Published monthly by the Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Purpose

Used to gauge the performance and growth momentum of the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.

Related topics

Current topic

Index of Core Industries (ICI)

Often confused with

Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

Coming soon
Often confused with

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Coming soon
Often confused with

Industrial Growth

Coming soon
Often confused with

National Income Accounting and Measurement in India

Open notes
Often confused with

Inflation and its Measurement in India

Open notes
Often confused with

Industrial Production Measurement

Open notes

Practice writing on this topic

UPSC has asked 9 linked questions on Index of Core Industries (ICI) in Mains. Write an answer to one — and get it evaluated.

UPSC Prelims PYQs on Index of Core Industries (ICI)

Practice official previous year questions asked by UPSC related to this concept.

Editorial & Review Process

Every revision note and practice question on UPSC Practice is researched using authoritative primary sources and reviewed for factual accuracy, syllabus relevance, and exam value. Read our Editorial Policy.

Verified Quality