WPI inflation at -4.54%; pulses, onion still costly

Headline inflation, as measured by the wholesale price index (WPI), declined for the 11th month in a row, contracting 4.54 per cent in September even as the prices of pulses, onions, wheat and milk continued to soar. However, the WPI saw slight firming up compared to the headline inflation in August when it stood at -4.95 per cent.

According to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry, the WPI stood at -4 per cent in July. The headline inflation has been negative since November 2014 while it was 2.38 per cent in September.

During the April-September period, build up in inflation rate was 0.28 per cent compared to a build up rate of 2.61 per cent in the corresponding period of 2014-15. The data showed that the index for food articles group rose by 0.6 per cent month-on-month due to higher price of arhar, fish, pork, bajra, gram and urad, fruits and vegetables, condiments and spices, wheat, barley and ragi.