India’s wholesale inflation based on wholesale price index (WPI) increased to 1.84% in September 2024 from a four-month low of 1.31% it had hit in the previous month due to increase in prices of food articles, food products, other manufacturing, manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers & semi-trailers, manufacture of machinery & equipment, etc. The WPI had witnessed a slight contraction of -0.1% in September 2023.
The Component wise, primary articles index, having weight of 22.62%, increased by 0.41% to 195.7 (provisional) in September 2024 from 194.9 (provisional) for the month of August 2024, as prices of minerals, non-food articles and food articles rise. However, fuel & power index, having weight of 13.15%, declined by 0.81% to 146.9 (provisional) in September 2024 from 148.1(provisional) for the month of August 2024, as price of mineral oils declined, while index for coal remained constant.
Further, manufactured products, having weight of 64.23% inched up by 0.14% to 141.8 (provisional) in September 2024 from 141.6 (provisional) for the month of August 2024. Out of the 22 NIC two-digit groups for manufactured products, 10 groups witnessed an increase in prices, 9 groups witnessed a decrease in prices and 3 groups witnessed no change in prices.
WPI Food Index consisting of 'food articles' from primary articles group and 'food product' from manufactured products group increased from 193.2 in August, 2024 to 195.3 in September, 2024. The annual rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index increased from 3.26% in August, 2024 to 9.47% in September, 2024.