Falling industrial output numbers in Feb. due to high base effect: Analysts

According to the latest Index of Industrial Production (IIP), India's factory output has contracted a record 15-year low of 1.2 percent in February 2009 on a year-on-year basis as against 9.5 percent growth in February 2008.

In terms of industries, the IIP data showed that as many as nine out of the seventeen industry groups have shown negative growth during the month of February 2009 as against the corresponding month of the previous year.

Of special concern was the 1.4 percent decline registered by the manufacturing sector, which constitutes around 80 percent in the IIP, compared to 9.6 percent growth a year ago.

However, according to the economists, the latest IIP numbers are according to their expectations and the decline was principally due to high base effect.

According to Yashika Singh, research head at Dun & Bradstreet India, the negative growth of 1.2 percent in IIP for February 2009 could, in some part, be attributed to a high base effect.