NEW DELHI: Industrial production in the country expanded at a five-month high in June with all three major sectors —manufacturing, mining and electricity — contributing to the recovery. Growth as measured by the Index of Industrial Production ( IIP ) stood at 7% in June compared with 3.9% in May, according to data released by the statistics office on Friday.The data is line with an economic revival narrative, although some experts said more data was needed to confirm a trend. The IIP number benefited from the base effect of 0.3% contraction in June last year.The growth estimate for May was revised up to 3.9% from 3.2%, delivering an overall growth of 5.2% in first quarter compared with 1.9% in the year-ago period. “Overall, GDP growth is expected to print at a healthy 7.5% in Q1 FY2019,” said Aditi Nayar, principal economist, ICRA. First-quarter GDP numbers will be released on August 31.The Indian economy grew 7.7% in the March quarter. “Excellent numbers of IIP growth for June,” tweeted economic affairs secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. Mining expanded 6.6% in June compared with 0.1% a year earlier, while manufacturing , which constitutes 77.63% of IIP, grew 6.9% versus a 0.7% decline a year ago. Electricity generation rose 8.5%.As many as 19 out of 23 manufacturing sub-groups reported positive growth. “Growth in June has been broadbased and spread across all segments,” CARE chief economist Madan Sabnavis said in a statement. Capital goods output, a proxy for investment activity, rose a sharp 9.6%, while consumer durables, an indicator of urban demand, grew 13.1%.The Confederation of Indian Industry said the signs of an upturn in IIP was encouraging, as it was indicative of a gradual improvement in the tempo of business activity.Economists are cautious, however, about a broad-based industrial revival.“IIP growth in July is unlikely to sustain at the 7% level recorded in June, led by a modest slowdown in growth of coal output, automobile production and electricity generation, as well as an unfavourable base effect,” Nayar said. Going forward, IIP growth could face statistical headwinds with the base effect waning in the months ahead.Higher minimum support prices (MSP) for crops and a government focus on infrastructure and housing are likely to keep demand momentum strong, based on primary goods whose growth “gives confidence of sustained industrial recovery,” said India Ratings chief economist Devendra Kumar Pant. But he added that intermediate goods don’t offer too much confidence by way of the sustainability of industrial growth.Production of intermediate goods, which are used to produce final goods, was up just 2.4% in June on a base of 1.2% contraction in June last year.