<h1>Core Industries Index Up 6.0% in February 2023; Fertilizers Lead Growth, Crude Oil Declines 4.9.</h1> The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) rose by 6.0% in February 2023 compared to February 2022. The production of fertilizers, coal, electricity, cement, steel, refinery products, and natural gas saw increases, while crude oil production declined by 4.9%. The cumulative growth rate for April-February 2022-23 was 7.8%. Coal production increased by 8.5%, and fertilizers saw a significant rise of 22.2%. Electricity generation grew by 7.6%, while steel and cement production increased by 6.9% and 7.3%, respectively. Crude oil was the only sector to experience a decline in both monthly and cumulative indices.