WPI inflation snaps 4-month easing trend; climbs to 3.18% in April

Snapping four-month easing trend, India’s inflation on wholesale level picked up in the month of April due to increase in prices of food and fuel products. According to the latest data released by the government, the wholesale price inflation (WPI) climbed to 3.18% in April 2018 from 2.47% in March 2018. However, it was lower compared to 3.85% reported during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 0.69% compared to a build up rate of 0.00% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Component wise, primary articles index having weight of 22.62%, surged 1.4% to 129.2 (provisional) from 127.4 (provisional) for the previous month. Among the primary articles, the index for ‘Food Articles’ group was up by 1.9% to 139.8 (provisional) from 137.2 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Minerals’ group rose by 1.6% to 121.6 (provisional) from 119.7 (provisional) for the previous month and the index for ‘Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas’ group increased by 2.4% to 82.1 (provisional) from 80.2 (provisional) for the previous month. On the flip side, the index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group declined by 0.9% to 119.1 (provisional) from 120.2 (provisional) for the previous month.

Fuel & Power index, having weight of 13.15%, was up by 0.9% to 98.9 (provisional) from 98.0 (provisional) for the previous month, due to rising Coal and Mineral Oils prices.

Manufactured Products constituting the major portion of the index with weight of 64.23% moved up by 0.3% to 116.1 (provisional) from 115.7 (provisional) for the previous month. The index for ‘Manufacture of Textiles’ group rose by 0.3% to 114.4 (provisional) from 114.1 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Wearing Apparel’ group surged by 1.1% to 139.3 (provisional) from 137.8 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Leather and Related Products’ group increased by 1.2% to 122.0 (provisional) from 120.5 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Printing and Reproduction of Recorded Media’ group rose by 0.2% to 144.9 (provisional) from 144.6 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products’ group was up by 1.0% to 116.4 (provisional) from 115.2 (provisional) for the previous month and the index for ‘Manufacture of Rubber and Plastics Products’ group edged up by 0.4% to 108.2 (provisional) from 107.8 (provisional) for the previous month.

Besides, the index for ‘Manufacture of other Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ group soared 1.2% to 115.2 (provisional) from 113.8 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Basic Metals’ group rose by 0.5% to 110.1 (provisional) from 109.5 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Computer, Electronic and Optical Products’ group rose by 1.1% to 111.6 (provisional) from 110.4 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Electrical Equipment’ group was up by 1.2% to 110.8 (provisional) from 109.5 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Machinery and Equipment’ group moved up by 0.4% to 110.4 (provisional) from 110.0 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Semi-Trailers’ group rose by 0.2% to 111.2 (provisional) from 111.0 (provisional) for the previous month and the index for ‘Other Manufacturing’ group jumped up by 1.2% to 105.3 (provisional) from 104.1 (provisional) for the previous month.

On the other hand, the index for ‘Manufacture of Food Products’ group declined by 0.1% to 127.6 (provisional) from 127.7 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Beverages’ group fell 0.5% to 119.2 (provisional) from 119.8 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Tobacco Products’ group was down by 4.0% to 146.0 (provisional) from 152.1 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork’ group inched down by 0.1% to 131.6 (provisional) from 131.7 (provisional) for the previous month and the index for ‘Manufacture of Paper and Paper Products’ group decreased by 0.1% to 120.8 (provisional) from 120.9 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products’ group was down by 0.5% to 120.4 (provisional) from 121.0 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment’ group fell 0.4% to 111.7 (provisional) from 112.2 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Other Transport Equipment’ group declined by 0.4% to 110.2 (provisional) from 110.6 (provisional) for the previous month, the index for ‘Manufacture of Furniture’ group was down by 0.5% to 123.3 (provisional) from 123.9 (provisional) for the previous month.