India’s WPI inflation rises to 4.17% in February   

The wholesale price-based inflation rose for the second consecutive month in February to 4.17 per cent, as food, fuel and power prices spiked. The WPI inflation was 2.03 per cent in January and 2.26 per cent in February last year. After witnessing months of softening of prices, the food articles in February saw 1.36 per cent inflation. In January it was (-) 2.80 per cent. In vegetables the rate of price rise was (-) 2.90 per cent in February, against (-) 20.82 per cent in January.

"The rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at (4.17 per cent) (provisional) for the month of February, 2021 (over February, 2020, as compared to 2.26 per cent) during the corresponding month of the previous year," a Ministry of Commerce and Industry statement on WPI said.

On a segment basis, prices of primary articles, which constitute 22.62 per cent of the WPI's total weightage, inflated by 1.82 per cent from (-) 2.24 per cent in January. Besides, WPI food index rose to 3.31 per cent from (-) 0.26 per cent reported for January 2020.

The prices of manufactured items remained at elevated levels with a rise of 5.81 per cent from 5.13 per cent reported for January 2020. On the same note, the prices of fuel and power with a weightage of 13.15 per cent rose 0.58 per cent from (-) 4.78 per cent in January 2020.

"The index for this (fuel and power) major group increased by (4.51 per cent) to 104.2 (provisional) in February, 2021 from 99.7 (provisional) for the month of January, 2021. Prices of Mineral Oils (8.88 per cent) increased in February, 2021 as compared to January, 2021," the statement said.

"Prices of Electricity (-0.43 per cent) declined in February, 2021 as compared to January, 2021. Prices of coal remain unchanged.