NEW DELHI, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Wholesale prices rose 1.81% year-on-year in January, the fastest pace in 10 months, as vegetable and basic metal prices picked up, government data showed on Monday.
Economists polled by Reuters had projected wholesale prices to rise 1.25% year-on-year in January, after a 0.83% rise a month prior. Wholesale price inflation was last higher in March 2025 at 2.25%.
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The higher cost of manufacturing basic metals, prices of food and textiles, among others, pushed up wholesale prices in January, the data showed.
A global rally in metal prices due to economic and political circumstances has raised the cost of manufacturing goods, Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda said.
The higher print will, however, not have a bearing on monetary policy, he added.
KEY NUMBERS
• Wholesale food prices rose 1.41% year-on-year in January, from registering flat a month ago.
• Vegetable prices rose 6.78% year-on-year in January after declining 3.5% year-on-year a month ago.
• Prices of manufactured products increased 2.86% year-on-year in January as compared to a 1.82% rise in December.
• Fuel and power prices dropped 4.01% year-on-year in January against a 2.31% fall in December.
