The country’s infrastructure industries recorded a growth rate of 5% in September, the highest in three months, PTI reported on Monday. The percentage is compiled using data from eight core industries – coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity.

While the production of cement, steel and refinery products grew by 5.5%, 16.3% and 9.3% respectively, the fertiliser and electricity industries grew by 2% and 2.2%. However, the coal, crude oil and natural gas sectors contracted by 5.8%, 4.1% and 5.5% in September. The overall growth of 5% was attributed to the strong performances by the cement, steel and refinery industries, according to the report.

The cumulative growth of the sector during the April-September stood at 4.6%, according to official data. The figure represents a growth of 2% from the same period in the last financial year. The eight core industries from which the percentage is compiled makes up nearly 38% of the items included in the Index of Industrial Production, which grew by 1.2% in May. This comes even as reports have suggested that the April-August performance of Indian industry was the worst in a decade.