Wholesale price inflation at 11-month high of 2.13%; higher crude prices to push WPI higher
The Hindu
Wholesale price inflation hits 11-month high at 2.13%, driven by rising crude prices and increased costs across various sectors.
Wholesale price inflation rose to a 11-month high of 2.13% in February, driven by an uptick in prices of food and non-food articles, even though vegetable prices eased on a month-on-month basis, government data showed on Monday (March 16, 2026).
This is the fourth straight month of rise in Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation. It was 1.81% in January and 2.45% in February last year.
Economists said the WPI inflation is likely to pick up pace further if the oil price rise persists, and spills over to other goods (fertilisers, aluminium) given it tracks international prices more closely relative to the CPI basket.
According to WPI data, inflation in food articles was 2.19% in February, as against 1.55% in the previous month.
Although in vegetables, inflation eased to 4.73% in February against 6.78% in January, pulses, potato and egg, meat and fish saw an uptick in inflation in February.
"Positive rate of inflation in February 2026 is primarily due to an increase in prices of other manufacturing, manufacture of basic metals, non-food articles, food articles and textiles, etc.," the Industry ministry said in a statement.
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