Review for the month of April, 2015 

The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) for the month of April, 2015 declined by 0.1 percent to 176.0 (provisional) from 176.1 (provisional) for the previous month.

INFLATION

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at -2.65% (provisional) for the month of April, 2015 (over April, 2014) as compared to -2.33% (provisional) for the previous month and 5.55% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was -0.06% compared to a build up rate of 0.28% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Inflation for important commodities / commodity groups is indicated in Annex-1 and Annex-II.

The movement of the index for the various commodity groups is summarized below:-

PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 20.12%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.9  percent to 241.8 (provisional) from 239.6  (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:-

The index for 'Food Articles' group rose by 1.3 percent to 252.7 (provisional) from 249.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of fruits & vegetables, gram and tea (4% each), poultry chicken and urad (3% each), arhar, ragi and fish-marine (2% each) and bajra and jowar (1% each).  However, the price of barley (5%), egg, mutton and beef & buffalo meat (3% each) and pork, masur, coffee and maize (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group rose by 0.6 percent to 203.5 (provisional) from 202.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of guar seed and raw cotton (7% each), groundnut seed (5%), cotton seed, safflower (kardi seed)   and niger seed (4% each), raw silk (3%), mesta and soyabean (2% each) and castor seed, coir fibre and rape & mustard seed   (1% each).  However, the price of flowers (15%), gingelly seed (7%), raw rubber (5%), fodder (3%) and linseed and copra (coconut) (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Minerals' group declined by 2.2 percent to 246.6 (provisional) from 252.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of manganese ore (19%), iron ore (9%), copper ore (5%), barytes (3%) and magnesite and chromite (2% each).  However, the price of zinc concentrate (11%), crude petroleum (4%), sillimanite and phosphorite (2% each) moved up.

FUEL & POWER (Weight 14.91%)

The index for this major group declined by 1.7 percent to 184.2 (provisional) from 187.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of furnace oil (9%), petrol  and high speed diesel (3% each), aviation turbine fuel (2%) and electricity (1%).

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.97%)

The index for this major group declined by 0.1 percent to 153.8 (provisional) from 153.9 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month are as follows:-

The index for 'Food Products' group declined by 0.2 percent to 169.8 (provisional) from 170.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of processed prawn (6%), vanaspati and tea leaf (unblended) (4% each), wheat flour (atta) (2%) and sugar, sooji (rawa), gingelly oil, maida, oil cakes and ghee (1% each).  However, the price of tea dust (unblended)      (11%), salt (7%), tea leaf (blended) (6%), canned fish, bakery products and sugar confectionary (2% each) and groundnut oil, copra oil and mixed spices (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Beverages, Tobacco& Tobacco Products' group rose by 0.1 percent to 203.5 (provisional) from 203.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of  dried tobacco (4%).  However, the price of rectified spirit         (1%) declined.

The index for 'Textiles' group rose by 0.3 percent to 140.3 (provisional) from 139.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of  man made fibre (3%), jute sacking cloth (2%) and jute sacking bag and jute yarn (1% each).  However, the price of tyre cord fabric (2%) and cotton yarn and cotton fabric (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Wood & Wood Products' group rose by 1.6 percent to 192.0 (provisional) from 189.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of plywood & fibre board (2%) and timber / wooden planks and processed wood (1% each).

The index for 'Paper & Paper Products' group rose by 0.3 percent to 153.1 (provisional) from 152.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of newspaper (3%) and books/ periodicals/ journals (1%).  However, the price of kraft  paper & bags, laminated paper and newsprint (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Leather & Leather Products' group declined by 0.1 percent to 141.8 (provisional) from 142.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of leather chappals/sandals (3%) and leather gloves (1%).

The index for 'rubber & Plastic Products' group declined by 0.2 percent to 148.1(provisional) from 148.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of  tubes (2%).

The index for 'Chemicals & Chemical Products' group declined by 0.1 percent to 150.7 (provisional) from 150.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of synthetic resin (3%), hair / body oils and polymers (2% each) and      castor oil, adhesive &  gum, turpentine oil and pesticides (1% each).  However, the price of rubber chemicals (3%) and      photographic goods, vitamins, pigment& pigment intermediates, explosives and non-cyclic compound (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group declined by 0.2 percent to 177.6 (provisional) from 177.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of grey cement and polished granite (1% each).  However, the price of marbles   (7%) and bricks& tiles and railway sleeper (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products' group declined by 0.2 percent to 162.0 (provisional) from 162.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of ferro manganese (5%), steel rods and sheets (3% each), ferro silicon, copper/copper ingots and CRC (2% each) and ferro chrome, steel: pipes & tubes, brass, rebars, gp/gc sheets, HRC,     joist & beams and silver (1% each).  However, the price of zinc (3%), melting scrap and steel structures (2% each) and      pencil ingots, rounds, wire rods, plates and billets (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Machinery & Machine Tools' group declined by 0.3 percent to 134.9 (provisional) from 135.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of PVC insulated cable (3%), electrical pumps (2%) and transformer and   communication equipments (1% each).  However, the price of sprinkler (5%), capacitors (4%), engines (2%) and battery dry cells and industrial furnaces (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Transport, Equipment & Parts' group rose by  0.4 percent to 137.4 (provisional) from 136.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of motor cycle/scooter/moped (2%).

FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 2015 (BASE YEAR: 2004-05=100)

For the month of  February, 2015, the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’(Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 175.6 as compared to 175.8 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at -2.17 percent as compared to -2.06 percent respectively as reported on 16.03.2015.

Next date of press release: 15/06/2015 for the month of May, 2015

Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi,

This press release is available at our home page http://eaindustry.nic.in

Annexure-I

Wholesale Price Index and Rates of Inflation (Base Year: 2004-05=100)

Month of April, 2015