On the back of a strong manufacturing sector, industrial production in India jumped 14.4% in November, more than double the 6% rate of a year earlier official figures showed Jan. 12. Manufacturing alone rose 15.7% in November, the Central Statistical Office said.

For the first seven months of the fiscal year to March 2007, industrial output rose 10.6%, accelerating from 8.3% in the same period a year earlier.

Strong industrial output has kept India on track to meet an official target of 8% or more economic growth for the year to ending March after the economy expanded 8.4% the previous year. India, which logged 9.1% growth in the six months to September, has expanded at least 8% for a record three years and is the world's second fastest growing major economy after China.