India's industrial production expands 1.2% in May

India's industrial production grew by 1.2% in May after seeing a contraction in the previous month, mainly due to uptick in consumer durables output. 
Factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), had expanded by 2.5% in May last year, the data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed. 
On cumulative basis, the factory output in April-May contracted by 0.1% compared to 2.8% growth in the year-ago period, India's news agency (PTI) reported. 
Despite a rebound in May, the growth figure remained low and may add to the clamour for rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India. 
Meanwhile, the provisional estimates of 0.8% contraction in April this year was revised downwards to 1.34% decline in factory output. 
According to data, output of consumer durables, which include white goods like television, refrigerators and washing machines, grew by 6% in May compared to a contraction of 3.9% in the same month a year ago. 
The manufacturing sector that constitutes over 75% of the index saw a growth of 0.7% in May compared to 2.1% a year ago. 
Power generation grew 4.7% in May compared to 6% in the same month a year ago. 
The mining sector recorded a growth of 1.3% in May this year as against 2.1% a year ago. 
In terms of industries, 14 out of 22 industry groups in the manufacturing sector have shown growth during the month of May 2016 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. 
As per user-based classification, the growth rates in May 2016 are 3.9% in basic goods, (-) 12.4% in capital goods and 3.6% in intermediate goods. 
The consumer non-durables output contracted by 2.2%. The overall growth in consumer goods was 1.1%.