The data on wholesale price index (WPI) furnished by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry showed that the rate of inflation had increased to 1.88 per cent during the corresponding month in 2017.

“Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 2.92 per cent compared to a build up rate of 0.62 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year,” the ministry said in its review statement.

On a sequential basis, the expenses on primary articles, which constitute 22.62 per cent of the WPI’s total weightage, inched up by 1.73 per cent, from an increase of 5.30 per cent in June 2018.

Similarly, the prices of food articles dipped. The category has a weightage of 15.26 per cent in the WPI index. It deflated by (-) 2.16 per cent from a rise of 1.80 per cent.

However, the cost of fuel and power category, which commands a 13.15 per cent weightage in the index, increased at a faster pace of 18.10 per cent from a growth of 16.18 per cent. In addition, expenses on manufactured products registered a rise of 4.26 per cent from 4.17 per cent.