Ahead of Narendra Modi-led Government’s final full Budget, the country witnessed a mixed bag of news as industrial output brought cheers and retail inflation tears for its citizens. Driven by rising food prices and higher payout for Government employees, December month’s retail inflation soared above the central bank’s inflation target to 5.21 per cent as food items are set to become more expensive.
Factory output as measured by Index of Industrial Prod-uction jumped to 25-month high of 8.4% in November, sho-wing signs of economic revival.