Sri Lanka, June 17 -- The industrial heft of the country, measured by the Index of Industrial Production, slipped in April from March, due to factory closures during the traditional new year holidays but the index was up from the same period a year ago, signalling that the activities are regaining strength.

The latest data available for April showed that the industrial sector gauge has recorded index points of 89.6, up 1.7 percent from the same month in 2024.

The index was down from 103.9 recorded for March, which typically has a higher value ahead of the New Year holidays. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing activities, which is a much broader index than industrial production, also showed a similar pattern in April, ...