India’s wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation in February moderated to a four-month low of 0.20 per cent on an annual basis, according to the data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Thursday.
The positive rate of inflation in February is primarily due to an increase in prices of food articles, crude petroleum & natural gas, electricity, machinery & equipment and motor vehicles, trailers & semi-trailers, etc., it said.
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The WPI inflation for February is in comparison to 0.27 per cent in the month of January 2024 and 0.73 per cent before that.
The sequential WPI rate for February grew 0.07 per cent against a contraction of (-) 0.33 per cent in the month before. The WPI inflation was in the negative zone from April to October and had turned positive only in November at 0.26 per cent.
As per the government data, the Food Index consisting of ‘Food Articles’ from the Primary Articles group and ‘Food Product’ from the Manufactured Products group has increased from 178.0 in January 2024 to 178.3 in February 2024.
The rate of inflation based on the WPI Food Index increased from 3.79 per cent in January 2024 to 4.09 per cent in February, 2024.
The index for Primary Articles increased by 0.22 per cent to 181.4 in February 2024 from 181.0 for January 2024. Prices of Minerals (2.80 per cent), Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (2.18 per cent) and Food Articles (0.26 per cent) increased in February 2024 as compared to January 2024.
Prices of Non-food Articles (-1.73 per cent) declined in February 2024 as compared to January 2024.
The index of Fuel and Power increased by 0.19 per cent to 155.1 in February 2024 from 154.8 for the month of January, 2024. Prices of Electricity (0.77 per cent) and Mineral Oils (0.06 per cent) increased in February 2024 as compared to January 2024. Prices of Coal (-0.15 per cent) declined in February 2024 as compared to January 2024.
The index for manufactured products remains unchanged at 139.8 in February, as compared to the month of January.
