The Ministry of Commerce & Industry in its latest data has showed that India’s inflation based on wholesale price index (WPI) rose to 13.11% in the month of February 2022 as against 12.96% in January 2022. The high rate of inflation in February 2022 is primarily due to rise in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, chemicals and chemical products, crude petroleum & natural gas, food articles and non-food articles etc. as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. The WPI in February 2021 was at 4.83%.
Component wise, primary articles index, having weight of 22.62%, increased by 1.09% to 166.8 (provisional) in February, 2022 from 165.0 (provisional) for the month of January, 2022. Prices of Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (14.25%), Non-food Articles (3.28%) and Minerals (3.17%) increased in February, 2022 as compared to January, 2022. Prices of Food Articles (-0.87%) declined in February, 2022 as compared to January, 2022.
Fuel & Power index, having weight of 13.15%, increased by 4.35% to 139.0 (provisional) in February, 2022 from 133.2 (provisional) for the month of January, 2022. Prices of Mineral Oils (7.22%) increased in February, 2022 as compared to January, 2022. Prices of coal and electricity remain unchanged.
Besides, Manufactured Products constituting the major portion of the index with weight of 64.23%, increased by 0.95% to 138.4 (provisional) in February, 2022 from 137.1 (provisional) for the month of January, 2022.