India’s wholesale price inflation rose to 1.81 per cent in January, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, indicating an increase in wholesale prices on an annual basis.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 1.81 per cent in January 2026, up from 0.83 per cent in December, reflecting an acceleration in price pressures at the wholesale level.
According to the data, the index number for all commodities increased to 157.8 in January from 157.0 in December, showing a steady rise in wholesale price levels.
The increase in inflation was mainly driven by higher prices across major commodity groups, particularly primary articles and manufactured products.
Primary articles recorded an annual inflation rate of 2.21 per cent in January, indicating higher prices of food items and other raw materials.
Fuel and power, however, continued to remain in deflationary territory, with inflation at minus 4.01 per cent, suggesting lower prices compared to the same period last year.
Manufactured products, which carry the highest weight in the WPI basket, registered an inflation rate of 2.86 per cent during the month. Rising prices of manufactured and industrial goods contributed significantly to the overall increase in wholesale inflation.
The food index, which includes food items from both primary articles and manufactured products, recorded an inflation rate of 1.41 per cent in January, reflecting moderate price increases year-on-year.
On a month-on-month basis, the WPI rose by 0.51 per cent in January compared to December, indicating continued upward movement in wholesale prices. The sequential increase was led by higher prices in select manufactured products, even as some categories saw price declines.
Overall, the rise in wholesale inflation to 1.81 per cent in January reflects firming price pressures at the wholesale level, with manufactured products and primary articles driving the increase, while fuel and power prices continued to remain subdued.
-ANI
