Sri Lanka, Sept. 15 -- Sri Lanka's manufacturing sector is ploughing ahead, beating the odds of the pandemic-induced disruptions, as the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has reached pre-pandemic levels in July, with major manufacturing activities advancing ahead despite a few still lagging.

According to the data released by the Census and Statistics Department, the IIP, which measures the total volume of goods and services, reached 111.1 index points in July, eclipsing the 108.6 index points in the same month in 2019, pointing to a continued expansion in the country's production activities in key sectors.

The index, which hit a nadir in April, due to the shutdown of factories and other production facilities around the country, barri...