Wholesale inflation rises to 1.81% in Jan

Inflation measured by the wholesale price index (WPI) rose to 1.81% in January, after remaining muted in the six months prior, primarily due to an increase in prices of basic metals and other manufactured food and nonfood articles and textiles, official data released by the commerce ministry showed on Monday.

- Gireesh Chandra Prasad

Inflation in primary articles comprising food items and minerals and crude oil, stood at 2.21% in January.

Wholesale price inflation was at 2.51% in January 2025. Since July last year, muted wholesale price situation had resulted in either deflation or less than 1% inflation.

WPI inflation was at 0.83% for December, after two consecutive months of deflation in October and November.

Inflation in primary articles comprising food items like cereals, paddy, wheat, vegetables, milk, eggs, meat, and fish as well as minerals and crude oil, stood at 2.21% in January, slowing down from the 4.58% surge seen in January 2025.

Primary articles have a weight of about 23% in the index. This segment had seen inflation of 0.21% in December 2025.