Industrial growth touches 17.6 percent

New Delhi, June 11 (ANI): Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here today that industrial sector registered 17.6 percent growth for the period ending in April.

"17.6 is quite encouraging, and touchwood if the monsoon keeps its date then it would be possible for us to reach the growth agriculture, and industrial manufacturing and service sector is also having a momentum that would have a very positive impact on the overall growth scenario," said Mukherjee.

Mukherjee added that he would have been much happier if the figures would have reached 20%.

The industrial output grew at a much stronger-than-expected pace in April, reinforcing expectations the Reserve Bank will lift rates for the third time this year at a policy review late next month.

Industrial output rose 17.6 percent in April from a year earlier, the strongest since December 2009, helped by buoyant domestic consumer demand, a revival in exports, and higher infrastructure spending, the statistics showed on Friday. (ANI)