India’s core sector growth is gathering pace but the headline number masks a sharp divide underneath. A handful of infrastructure-linked industries are expanding at a fast pace, while several upstream energy and agricultural-input sectors remain stuck in contraction. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks nine key sectors under the new 2022-23 base year, grew 4.3% during April-July 2026, up sharply from 1.5% in the corresponding period a year ago. In July alone, core sector output rose 5.4% year-on-year, slightly below the revised 6% growth recorded in June.