"India’s core sector hits a 15-month high! Steel surges 14.2%, coal 11.4% – is this the start of an infra-led rally?"

📊 Core Sector Growth – August 2025 Highlights India’s Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) rose by 6.3% YoY, marking a 15-month high in industrial momentum. Here's how the key sectors performed: | 🏗️ Steel : +14.2% | ⛏️ Coal : +11.4% | 🧱 Cement :+6.1% | 🌾 Fertilizer :+4.6% 🔍 Key Takeaways - Steel led the pack with double-digit growth, driven by robust demand from auto, infra, and real estate sectors. - Coal rebounded sharply in August after months of contraction, aiding power generation and industrial fuel supply. - Cement maintained steady growth, signaling healthy construction activity despite monsoon season. - Fertilizer saw modest growth in August, but cumulative performance remains weak—likely due to erratic monsoon patterns and inventory overhang. 📈 Investor Lens For equity analysts and retail investors: - Steel stocks like Tata Steel, JSW Steel, and SAIL may benefit from margin expansion and volume growth. - Cement players such as Ultratech, Shree Cement, and Ambuja could see festive demand tailwinds. - Coal India may gain from improved dispatch volumes and pricing. - Fertilizer firms like Chambal and Coromandel need close monitoring for subsidy clarity and rural demand recovery.