India, March 21 -- Growth rate of key infrastructure industries, as measured by the combined Index of Eight Core Industries, eased to 2.3% in February from 4.7% in January, according to data released by the Union ministry of commerce and industry on March 20. This was the slowest growth rate since November 2025, when the growth rate was 2.1%. On a cumulative basis, growth during April to February stood at 2.9%, according to the release. The index covers eight industries: coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, and electricity. These account for 40% of the weight of items in the broader Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Growth rates decreased compared to January in all sectors except crude oil and nat...