New Delhi:India's Index of Core Industries (ICI) recorded a 5.4 per cent growth in July this year compared to the same month of the previous year, driven by the strong performance of the iron ore, cement, and electricity sectors, according to figures released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

The cement sector clocked a robust growth of 13.1 per cent during the month as demand stayed buoyant due to large government investments in big-ticket infrastructure projects such as highways, ports, and railways.

The production of iron ore surged by as much as 29.5 per cent in July. Owing to intensive use of iron ore in the production process, and its contribution to industrial development, it has been included in the list of core industries as a new item in the revised series of ICI. Accordingly, the number of core industries has increased from eight to nine in the new series, which kicked in for the first time from last month.

Electricity generation grew by 9 per cent during July while coal production went up by 7.6 per cent. The output of steel and refinery products during the month increased by 2.9 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively, the data showed.