The government released the wholesale price index (WPI) data for the month of November on Monday, December 16. The wholesale inflation came at 1.89%. The core inflation stood at 0.5% against 0.3% month-on-month. In October, the wholesale inflation came at 2.36% and in September it came at 1.84%.
According to a CNBC-TV18 poll, the November WPI inflation was expected at 2.3%.
The government attributed the positive inflation rate in November to an increase in prices of food articles, food products, other manufacturing, textiles, machinery & equipment, etc.
The Wholesale Price Index or WPI measures the change in prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses with other companies. Unlike the CPI which tracks prices of goods and services purchased by consumers, WPI tracks factory gate prices and retail prices.
The prices of minerals (2.10%), non-food articles (0.56%) and mineral oils (0.72%) increased in November 2024 as compared to October 2024. On the other hand, the price of food articles (-1.83%), crude petroleum & natural gas (-0.41%) and electricity generation (-0.07%) declined in November as compared to the previous month.
Out of the 22 National Industrial Classification (NIC) two-digit groups for manufactured products, 10 groups witnessed an increase in prices whereas 10 groups witnessed a decrease in prices. Two of the groups showed no change.
Food products, furniture, other non-metallic mineral products, pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical and botanical products, electrical equipment etc witnessed month-over-month increases in prices. Manufacture of basic metals, rubber and plastics products, chemicals and chemical products, computer, electronic and optical products, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers etc reported a decline in prices.
First Published: Dec 16, 2024 12:35 PM IST