New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) India’s annual rate of inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was estimated at 1.81 per cent for January this year compared to the same month of the previous year, according to figures released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday.

Positive rate of inflation in January is primarily due to an increase in prices of the manufacture of basic metals, other manufacturing, non-food articles, food articles and textiles, the official statement said.

The month-over-month change in WPI for January 2026 stood at 0.51 per cent as compared to December, 2025.

The Food Index, consisting of ‘Food Articles’ from the primary articles group and ‘food product’ from the manufactured products group, has decreased from 196.0 in December 2025 to 194.2 in January 2026. The rate of inflation based on the WPI Food Index increased to 1.41 per cent in January compared to the same month of the previous year.

The index for the manufacturing group, which has a weight of 64.23 per cent in WPI, increased by 1.3 per cent during the month. Out of the 22 manufactured products, 19 groups witnessed an increase in prices, while three groups recorded a decrease in prices. Some of the important groups that showed a month-over-month increase in prices were the manufacture of basic metals, food products, textiles, other manufacturing and electrical equipment.

Those that recorded a decline in prices include the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical and botanical products; machinery and equipment and furniture in January 2026 as compared to December 2025.

Meanwhile, India’s inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with the new base year 2024, for January this year was estimated at 2.75 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year, according to figures released last week.

The food inflation came in at 2.13 per cent during the month. Prices of vegetables such as potatoes, onions and garlic declined during January, along with those of pulses such as arhar and tur. However, there was an increase in the price of tomatoes during the month. Housing Inflation was estimated at 2.05 per cent.

The data showed a sharp increase in the inflation rate for silver jewellery at 159.67 per cent and gold jewellery at 46.77 per cent.

–IANS

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