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New CPI reflects modern spending trend
Mint Kolkata
|February 12, 2026
Inflation overhaul
India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) is finally getting a reset.
Today, the statistics ministry will roll out a revised CPI series with a new 2024 base year, replacing the 2012 base year that has measured inflation for over a decade. The new series updates both the base year and methodology to reflect how Indian households actually spend today, using findings from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, 2023-24.
Mint examines some key changes, and why it matters:
How will inflation readings change under the new CPI?
At the heart of the CPI revamp is a recalibration of weights across spending categories. The most consequential shift is the reduced weight of food and beverages, which falls to 36.8% of the CPI basket from 45.9%. Within this, food alone drops from 39.1% to 34.8%.
This story is from the February 12, 2026 edition of Mint Kolkata.
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