Industrial output rose for a fourth straight month in June but just marginally and recovery remains fragile as exports and domestic demand remain weak.
The Industry Ministry said on Thursday its manufacturing production index (MPI) in June rose 0.8% from a year earlier. A Reuters poll had forecast a rise of 2.0%. In May, output rose a revised 2.7% from a year earlier, instead of the 2.6% reported earlier.
Industrial goods accounted for 80 percent of total exports in June, which fell 0.1% from a year earlier, customs data showed.
June's annual output gain was led by autos, electronics, steel, textiles and food. Capacity utilisation was 66.29% in June, down from May's revised 67.54%. Exports have contracted in each of the past three years. The central bank has forecast shipments will fall 2.5% this year, while it expects the economy to grow 3.1%.