India’s inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rose to 15.08% in April, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on May 17.
The WPI inflation grew 14.55% during March, while the WPI for February was revised to 13.11% from 13.43%, the data showed. The WPI inflation was 10.74% in April 2021. The WPI inflation has extended its stay in double-digit territory for the 13th consecutive month starting from April 2021.
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“The high rate of inflation in April 2022 was primarily due to rise in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum & natural gas, food articles, non-food articles, food products and chemicals & chemical products etc. as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year,” the government said in its press release.
The food articles segment saw a rise of 8.35% in April, the data showed. In March, this was 8.06%. The marginal month-on-month rise can be attributed to a rise in vegetable prices.
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Vegetable prices surged 23.24% in April, against a rise of 19.88% in March, the data showed. Prices of potatoes rose 19.84% while that of onions slipped (-)4.02%. The prices of fruits witnessed a spike of 10.89% last month from 10.62% in March, while that of wheat slipped to 10.70% from 14.04% a month ago. Eggs, meat and fish prices eased to 4.50% in April from 9.42% in March and cereals rose 7.80% last month as compared with 8.12% in March.
The power and fuel segment rose to 38.66% in April from 34.52% a month ago. Petrol prices rose by 60.63%, HSD (High-Speed Diesel) surged by 66.16% and LPG prices gained by I38.48%.
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The manufactured products segment grew 10.85% in April, up from 10.71% in the month prior.
In separate data released on May 12, the country’s retail inflation, which is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose to a near 8-year high of 7.79% in April.
