Growth in key infrastructure industries plunged to 2.3 per cent in August this fiscal from 9.5 per cent a year ago with several segments, including crude oil and petroleum refinery, showing dismal performance.

Crude oil showed negative growth by one per cent in August from a positive 6.5 per cent in the same month last year.

Growth in petroleum refinery products dropped to 2.5 from 8.2 per cent, while expansion in electricity generation was down to just 0.8 per cent from a healthy 9.2 per cent last year.

For the April-August period also, the six core sectors comprising crude oil, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished carbon steel showed a slower growth of 3.4 per cent as against 7.1 per cent in the corresponding period of 2007, according to official data released on Friday.