The manufacturing sector reflected strong growth in April-December 2004 with nearly 30 out of 134 segments recording a growth rate of more than 20 per cent, according to an Ascon survey carried out by the Associations Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Of all the sectors that reported production, 42 recorded a high growth rate of 10-20 per cent, 48 registered a moderate rate of 0-10 percent while 14 reported negative growth.
While only 22 sectors had recorded excellent growth, 46 recorded high growth, 57 reported moderate growth and 20 sectors had registered negative growth in the corresponding period last year.
According to the survey, industrial furnaces, telecom cables, castings, washing machines, auto components, medium and heavy commercial vehicles, cars, mustard oil, utility vehicles, transmission line towers, transformers, fluid power and sugar machinery, had excellent growth Power cables, industrial gases, pumps, plastics, drugs and pharmaceuticals were in the high growth category.
Of the 68 sectors reporting sales, 18 registered excellent growth, 19 registered high growth and 25 reported moderate growth while 6 sectors recorded low growth or declines.
In the corresponding period last year, 6 sectors had recorded excellent sales growth, 21 recorded a high growth rate and 40 had moderate growth rates while 9 sectors showed negative growth.
The survey indicated that the manufacturing industry experienced higher exports growth compared with the corresponding quarter last year.
The survey said 18 sectors had shown excellent growth in exports.
While 16 sectors fell in the high growth category, 10 recorded moderate growth and 9 sectors registered a fall.
Plastics, auto components, fluid power, diesel engines, industrial furnaces, sugar machinery, cars, CTV, utility vehicles, scooters, electric fans and pharmaceuticals are some sectors which have done well on the exports front, registering excellent growth.
Those in the high growth category included abrasives, castings, electronic components, forgings, precision tubes and air & gas compressors. While caustic soda, cold rolled steel, pig iron, steel, textile machinery, B/W TV, cigarettes & tobacco and tea reported negative growth in exports.
The survey also highlighted issues like high input prices, lengthy procedures for obtaining export benefits, need for alternative duty entitlement pass book scheme, capacity under utilisation and unrestricted second hand goods import which are restricting growth in the sector.
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