NEW DELHI: India’s wholesale price inflation rose in March after easing in the previous month, preliminary official data showed on Monday.
The wholesale price index rose 14.55 per cent year-on-year in March,following a 13.11 per cent increase in February. Economists had forecast 13 per cent inflation. In January, inflation was 13.68 per cent%.
The food index rose 8.71 per cent annually in March, following an 8.47 per cent increase in the previous month.
The high rate of inflation in March was primarily due to rise in prices of crude petroleum & natural gas, mineral oils and basic metals due to disruption in global supply chain caused by Russia-Ukraine war.
The primary articles inflation rose to 15.54 per cent from 13.39 per cent in February. The fuel and power index grew 34.52 per cent annually in March, following a 31.5 per cent increase in the previous month.
The manufactured products index rose 10.71% yearly in March,following a 9.84 per cent growth in the prior month.
On a month-on-month basis, the wholesale price index increased 2.69 per cent in March, following a 0.76 per cent rise in the previous month. — dpa