The growth of eight core infrastructure industries shrank by 6.5 per cent in March. It happened due to fall in production of crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity amid the Covid-19 lockdown. The eight core sectors had expanded by 5.8 per cent in March 2019.Production of crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity contracted by 5.5 per cent, 15.2 per cent, 0.5 per cent, 11.9 per cent, 13 per cent, 24.7 per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively in the month under review, official data showed.