WPI inflation dips to 0.39% in May

New Delhi: Wholesale price inflation (WPI) declined to 0.39 per cent in May as prices of food articles, manufactured products, and fuel eased, government data showed Monday.

WPI-based inflation was 0.85 per cent in April. It was 2.74 per cent in May last year.

“Positive rate of inflation in May 2025 is primarily due to increase in prices of manufacture of food products, electricity, other manufacturing, chemicals and chemical products, manufacture of other transport equipment and non-food articles, etc,” the industry ministry said in a statement.

As per the WPI data, food articles saw a deflation of 1.56 per cent in May, against a deflation of 0.86 per cent in April, with vegetables seeing a sharp drop.

Deflation in vegetables was 21.62 per cent in May, compared to 18.26 per cent in April.

Manufactured products, however, saw inflation at 2.04 per cent, compared to 2.62 per cent in April.

Fuel and power, too, saw a deflation of 2.27 pc in May, compared to a 2.18 per cent inflation in April.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mainly takes into account retail inflation while formulating monetary policy.

Data released last week showed, retail inflation eased to over six-year-low of 2.82 per cent in May mainly due subdued food prices.

The RBI this month cut benchmark policy interest rates by a sharp 0.50 per cent to 5.50 per cent amid easing inflation.

PTI

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