WPI inflation hits 10-month low in Jan

Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to a 10-month low of 2.76 per cent in January over the previous month on softening prices of fuel and some food items, according to government data released on Thursday.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 3.8 per cent in December, 2018, and 3.02 per cent in January 2018. WPI inflation stood at 2.74 per cent in March 2018. Inflation in kitchen essentials like potato, onion, fruits, and milk softened in January over the previous month, the data revealed.

However, the rate of price rise in the food basket, as a whole, rose to 2.34 per cent in the month under review compared to a deflation (-0.07 per cent) in the previous month. The retail inflation, released earlier this week, too declined marginally to 2.05 per cent in January over the previous month on continued decline in food prices, including vegetables and eggs.