Retail inflation hits six-year low in Mar

Food inflation eased in March, rising 2.69% year-on-year, down from 3.75% in February and 8.52% a year ago

- Rhik Kundu & Anubhav Mukherjee

India's retail inflation eased in March to its lowest in over six years on the back of lower food prices, showed provisional government data released on Tuesday.

Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose by 3.34% annually in March, lower than the 3.61% registered in February and 4.85% reported in the year-ago period, according to the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MOSPI) data.

Food inflation eased in the month, rising 2.69% year-on-year, down from 3.75% in February and 8.52% a year ago.

A Mint poll of 14 economists projected an easing of retail inflation to 3.5% in March from 3.6% in February, marking the second consecutive month of sub-4% print and the longest streak of continuous inflation easing in at least five years.