March CPI reverses three months gaining streak; eases to 5.17%

13 Apr 2015 Evaluate

Reversing three months gaining streak trend, Retail inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), slowed to 5.17% year-on-year in March, lower compared to 5.37% in February and also lower than street expectation of figure of around 5.5%.

The General Indices (Provisional) for the month of March 2015 for Rural, Urban and Combined stood at 121.0, 119.1 and 120.1 respectively. The corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for the month under review stood at 5.58% and 4.75% as compared to 5.79% and 4.95% respectively in the previous month.

The fall was largely broad-based with food inflation, which constitutes nearly half the index, coming in at 6.14% compared to 6.79% in February. The CFPI for Rural, Urban and Combined for the same month stood 122.6, 123.1 and 122.8 respectively and the corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for the index for the month under review stood at 5.69% and 6.76% as compared to 6.34% and 7.52%  respectively in the previous month.

In other details, Clothing & footwear inflation came down to 6.27% versus 6.38% in February, but fuel & lighting inflation rose to 5.07% versus 4.72% in February. Housing inflation also declined to 4.77% versus 4.98% in February.

The latest data confirms the case for RBI slashing interest rates in its upcoming monetary policy review, which is on June 2. The Reserve Bank of India has cut interest rates twice this year at unscheduled meetings, but kept its key repo rate on hold at 7.50% last week, waiting to assess inflationary pressures and give commercial banks more time to cut their lending rates.

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