Core industries grew 6.8 per cent in November from the year-ago period as output of steel, cement and power increased in spite of fears of an industrial slowdown while production of fuel and fertiliser declined. The Index of Core Industries increased by just 0.3 per cent in October from a year earlier. Core industries have a weightage of 37.9 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production, a monthly measure of business investment. The index fell 5.1 per cent in October.