As per the quick estimates released here on Tuesday by the Central Statistical Organisation, the IIP for April-August registered a growth of 6 per cent against the 4.2 per cent in the corresponding period in the last fiscal.

The IIP for mining, manufacturing and electricity for August grew by 1.9 per cent, 6.1 per cent and 10.9 per cent. In August 1998, the corresponding figures were 0.6 per cent, 4.5 per cent and 6.6 per cent. For April-August 1999, the figures were -0.3 per cent, 6.7 per cent and 6.1 per cent. For the same period in the last fiscal, sectors grew by 0.5 per cent, 4.2 per cent and 8.7 per cent.

In April-August 1999, the IIP (general) growth rate was higher despite inferior performance in the mining and electricity sectors--in fact, thegrowth being negative in mining--because these two sectors have a very low weightage in the index. Mining and electricity have 104.73 and 101.69 points, while manufacturing has 793.58 points. And in the manufacturing sector, the performance has been good in this fiscal year.

As per the use based classification, in August capital goods registered a growth rate of 6.7 per cent; capital goods, 9 per cent, intermediate goods, 6 per cent; consumer durables, 12.3 per cent; consumber non-durables, 2.9 per cent; and the entire consumer goods sector, 4.9 per cent. In August 1998, the corresponding figures were 3.8 per cent, 12.5 per cent, 6.5 per cent, 1.2 per cent, 0.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent.

During April-August 1999-2000, basic goods showed a growth of 4.2 per cent (against 3.4 per cent in the corresponding period in 1998-99); capital goods (10.4 per cent); intermediate goods, 9.1 per cent (5.6 per cent); consumer durables, 13.7 per cent (1 per cent); non-durables, 0.9 per cent (2.5 per cent); and the entire consumer goods sector, 3.6 per cent (2.2 per cent).

Consumber durables which has been doing very well this fiscal, but this has not improved the performance of the entire consumer sector because durables have a weightage of 51.15 points against the 232.47 points of non-durables, and non-durables have not been performing very nicely.

Basic goods have a weightage of 355.12 points, capital goods of 96.87 points and intermediate goods of 264.39 points.

Among specific industry segments, machinery and equipment other than transport equipment registered a growth rate of 20 per cent for August; for April-August 1999-2000, too, the growth rate is impressive at 21.1 per cent. The segment has a weightage of 95.7 points. Another important segment, with a weightage of 140 points, is that of basic chemicals and chemical products (except products of petroleum and coal). It grew at a rate of 8.2 per cent in August, while the cumulative growth in the April-August period was 9.6 per cent.

Non-metallic mineral products, with a weightage of 44 points, grew at a rate of 15.9 per cent in August and 25.5 per cent in April-August.

Food products, with a weightage of 90.8 points, suffered a decline of 4.1 per cent, while for April-August the growth rate was -3.4 per cent.