India’s wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation for the month of January, 2025 eased to 2.31 per cent on an annual basis from 2.37 in December, 2024, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry data released today. 

 

 

The annual inflation rate for Primary Articles in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) declined to 4.69 per cent in January, down from 6.02 per cent in December. The fuel and power category witnessed deflation of 2.78 per cent in January, against a deflation of 3.79 per cent in the previous month. 

 

 

The data showed that annual rate of inflation based on WPI food index decreased to 7.47 per cent during last month, from 8.89 per cent in December.

 

 

Meanwhile, in the manufactured products category, inflation rose to 2.51 per cent, up from 2.14 per cent in the previous month. 

 

 

The ministry added that the positive rate of inflation in January, 2025 is primarily due to increase in prices of manufacture of food products, food articles, other manufacturing, non-food articles and manufacture of textiles.

 

 

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.