India’s inflation rate based on the wholesale price index (WPI) increased to 8.3 per cent during April 2026, compared with the same month of the previous year. This was majorly due to the increase in prices of fuels and crude oil amid the West Asia conflict.
As per the official statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, May 14, the WPI inflation for April 2026 was higher than the corresponding figure of 3.88 per cent recorded for March 2026.
Notably, WPI food inflation remained constant at 1.85 per cent in March 2026 compared to the same month of the previous year.
In April, the month-on-month WPI inflation in the fuel and power group increased by 18.22 per cent compared to March. The prices for crude oil and natural gas have surged by 29.37 per cent due to the ongoing conflict in Middle East. This was offset to some extent by a decline of 2.53 per cent in the price of electricity, official figures showed.
In April, the Food Index, which consists foodgrains like cereals and pulses along with manufactured food products, increased by 2.31 per cent compared to March.
The WPI inflation in manufactured products that have a weight of 64.23 per cent in the overall index increased by 1.4 per cent in April compared to the previous month. Overall, 21 of the 22 products in the group recording an increase in price while one posted a decline, IANS reported.
Further, India’s retail inflation rate, based on the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) series, has been recorded at 3.48 per cent in April compared to the same month of the previous year, as per the data from the Ministry of Statistics.
Meanwhile, the inflation rate for electricity, gas and other fuels continued to remain subdued at 1.71 per cent in April, despite soaring oil prices in global markets amid the West Asia conflict.