Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

14-September-2015 11:58 IST

The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) for the month of August, 2015 declined by 0.5 percent to 176.7 (provisional) from 177.5 (provisional) for the previous month.

INFLATION

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at -4.95% (provisional) for the month of August, 2015 (over August, 2014) as compared to -4.05% (provisional) for the previous month and 3.85% during the corresponding month of the previous year.  Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 0.34% compared to a build up rate of  3.11% 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 1.7 percent to 251.5 (provisional) from 247.2 (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 2.6 percent to 262.3 (provisional) from 255.7 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of fruits & vegetables (10%), arhar (6%), gram and urad (3% each), bajra, pork and maize (2% each) and masur, ragi, wheat, barley and condiments & spices (1% each).  However, the price of poultry chicken (6%),      beef & buffalo meat (3%) and moong, tea and jowar (1% each) declined.

The index for  ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 0.8 percent to 217.4 (provisional) from 215.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of flowers (29%), copra (coconut) (8%), fodder and niger seed (7% each), safflower (kardi seed) and cotton seed   (3% each), castor seed and groundnut seed (2% each) and mesta, sunflower and rape & mustard seed (1% each).  However, the price of raw silk (12%), gaur seed (11%), raw rubber (8%), soyabean (6%), gingelly seed (sesamum) (3%) and linseed and raw cotton (2% each) declined.

The index for  ‘Minerals’ group declined by 4.4 percent to 244.6 (provisional) from 255.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of phosphorite (9%), crude petroleum (7%), sillimanite and copper ore (5% each) and iron ore (2 %).  However, the price of zinc concentrate (8%) and chromite (2%) moved up.

FUEL & POWER (Weight 14.91%)

The index for this major group declined by 4.5 percent to 178.7 (provisional) from 187.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of  furnace oil (12%), aviation turbine fuel (11%), high speed diesel (9%), petrol (3%) and bitumen (1%).

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.97%)

The index for this major group declined by 0.4 percent to 153.1 (provisional) from 153.7 (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 171.7 (provisional) from 172.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of salt (5%), tea dust (unblended) and oil cakes (3% each), soyabean oil, gingelly oil and sugar ( 2 % each) and canned fish, palm oil and sunflower oil (1% each).  However, the price of gram powder (besan) (11%), tea leaf (blended) (7%), processed prawn (6), mixed spices and sooji (rawa) (2% each) and gola (cattle feed) (1%) moved up.

The index for ‘Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 206.4 (provisional) from 206.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of dried tobacco and soft drinks & carbonated water (1% each).

The index for ‘Textiles’ group declined by 0.4 percent to 140.6 (provisional) from 141.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of woollen textiles (6%) and tyre cord fabric, cotton yarn, man made fibre and cotton fabric (1% each). However, the price of jute sacking cloth and jute sacking bag (4% each), gunny and hessian cloth (2%) and man made fabric (1%) moved up.

The index for ‘Wood & Wood Products’ group rose by 0.3 percent to 198.5 (provisional) from 197.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of  timber / wooden planks (2%).

The index for ‘Paper & Paper Products’ group rose by 0.7 percent to 154.7 (provisional) from 153.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of books/ periodicals/ journals (5%), paper cartons/boxes (2%) and corrugated sheet boxes (1%).  However, the price of laminated paper, printing and writing paper and card board (1% each) declined.

The index for ‘Leather & Leather Products’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 144.9 (provisional) from 144.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of leathers (3%).

The index for ‘Rubber & Plastic Products’ group declined by 0.5 percent to 148.7 (provisional) from 149.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of  plastic products and rubber products (1% each).

The index for ‘Chemicals & Chemical Products’ group declined by 0.1 percent to 151.3 (provisional) from 151.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of rubber chemicals (3%), adhesive &  gum (2%) and agarbattis,     polymers, basic organic chemicals and vaccines (1% each).  However, the price of ammonium sulphate, hair / body oils and     synthetic resin (2% each) and pigment & pigment intermediates, antacid and  digestive preparations, turpentine oil, paints and non-cyclic compound (1% each) moved up.

The index for ‘Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ group rose by 0.8 percent to 175.6 (provisional) from 174.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of grey cement (2%) and white cement (1). However, the price of asbestos corrugated sheet (3%), glass bottles & bottleware (2%) and marbles and railway sleeper (1% each) declined.

The index for ‘Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products’ group declined by 1.9 percent to 154.1 (provisional) from 157.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of melting scrap (6%), billets, sheets and wire rods (5% each),     silver, sponge iron, angles and pencil  ingots (4% each), rounds, pig iron, HRC and CRC (3% each), plates, steel rods,     joist & beams, gold & gold ornaments, rebars, gp/gc sheets and iron castings (2% each) and steel: pipes & tubes, steel castings, metal containers, zinc and aluminium (1% each).  However, the price of steel structures (4%) and ferro manganese (1%) moved up.

The index for ‘Machinery & Machine Tools’ group declined by 0.2 percent to 134.9 (provisional) from 135.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of fibre optic cable (4%), electric motors (3%), ball/roller bearing (2%) and electronic pcb /micro circuit, hydraulic equipment, conductor, electrical wires and pvc insulated cable (1% each).  However, the price of battery dry cells (3%), heat exchanger and harvester (2% each) and insulators (1%) moved up.

The index for ‘Transport, Equipment & Parts’ group declined by 0.1 percent to 137.7 (provisional) from 137.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of bi-cycles (2%).

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

For the month of June, 2015, the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 179.1 as compared to 178.6 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at -2.13 percent as compared to -2.40 percent (provisional) respectively as reported on 14.07.2015.

Next date of press release: 14/10/2015 for the month of September, 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 August, 2015
Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups	Weight	WPI August, 2015	Latest month over month			Build up from March		Year on year
			2014-15		2015-16	2014-15	2015-16	2014-15	2015-16
ALL COMMODITIES	100.00000	176.7	0.49		-0.45	3.11	0.34	3.85	-4.95
PRIMARY ARTICLES	20.11815	251.5	1.79		1.74	9.11	5.23	3.69	-3.71
Food Articles	14.33709	262.3	2.55		2.58	13.09	5.21	5.11	-1.13
Cereals	3.37323	233.1	0.59		0.52	2.55	0.87	4.36	-1.65
Rice	1.79348	238.2	0.86		0.21	6.33	1.97	6.61	-3.48
Wheat	1.11595	214.5	0.67		0.75	-3.62	-0.46	0.72	2.05
Pulses	0.71662	326.0	2.09		2.58	4.96	26.45	7.85	36.40
Vegetables	1.73553	294.2	11.80		16.70	88.21	35.70	-5.99	-21.21
Potato	0.20150	179.3	7.94		2.75	92.78	18.58	65.76	-51.71
Onion	0.17794	662.8	-1.84		63.05	64.61	99.34	-44.54	65.29
Fruits	2.10717	242.5	0.00		3.28	13.48	-0.53	21.14	-1.34
Milk	3.23818	250.1	3.07		-0.08	6.48	1.13	12.18	2.08
Egg, Meat & Fish	2.41384	278.7	-1.35		-0.61	-4.56	-3.93	-6.32	3.30
Non-Food Articles	4.25756	217.4	0.78		0.83	0.55	7.31	4.29	-0.69
Fibres	0.87737	203.5	-3.10		-2.21	-5.49	5.22	-9.62	-9.72
Oil Seeds	1.78051	212.8	2.01		0.33	5.46	4.11	12.64	-2.52
Minerals	1.52350	244.6	-1.76		-4.42	-1.24	0.53	-6.19	-28.31
FUEL & POWER	14.91021	178.7	-0.28		-4.49	-0.09	-4.95	4.54	-16.50
Liquefied petroleum gas	0.91468	162.1	-0.06		-0.37	-3.11	-0.37	6.07	-5.32
Petrol	1.09015	168.8	-3.23		-3.16	-2.99	2.24	-0.15	-13.26
High speed diesel	4.67020	181.4	0.67		-8.75	3.98	-10.73	11.61	-24.54
MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS	64.97164	153.1	0.06		-0.39	1.23	-0.52	3.65	-1.92
Food Products	9.97396	171.7	0.23		-0.17	3.78	0.94	3.91	-2.17
Sugar	1.73731	158.0	0.36		-1.56	6.43	-9.46	2.57	-19.06
Edible Oils	3.04293	147.9	-0.34		-0.60	-0.48	2.14	-0.21	1.44
Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Product	1.76247	206.4	0.85		0.15	3.01	1.57	10.65	2.38
Cotton Textiles	2.60526	157.7	-0.66		-0.57	0.18	0.00	5.09	-4.54
Man Made Textiles	2.20573	133.2	0.44		-0.22	1.93	0.45	5.20	-3.20
Wood & Wood Products	0.58744	198.5	0.11		0.30	-0.80	4.64	4.56	6.78
Paper & Paper Products	2.03350	154.7	0.20		0.72	1.69	1.18	6.53	3.06
Leather & Leather Products	0.83509	144.9	-0.95		0.42	0.34	1.83	2.02	-1.09
Rubber & Plastic Products	2.98697	148.7	0.33		-0.47	0.80	0.27	4.06	-1.59
Chemicals & Chemical Products	12.01770	151.3	0.06		-0.07	0.98	0.27	4.05	-1.82
Non-Metallic Mineral Products	2.55597	175.6	1.00		0.80	2.21	-1.73	3.19	2.57
Cement & Lime	1.38646	170.5	0.66		1.31	2.01	-4.05	-0.48	1.85
Basic Metals Alloys & Metal Product	10.74785	154.1	-0.24		-1.91	-0.54	-4.82	2.33	-7.56
Iron & Semis	1.56301	138.9	-0.93		-3.41	0.19	-6.72	6.06	-12.75
Machinery & Machine Tools	8.93148	134.9	0.00		-0.22	1.13	-0.07	2.82	0.15
Transport Equipment & Parts	5.21282	137.7	-0.07		-0.07	0.15	0.29	1.57	1.25

Annexure-II
Trend of Rate of Inflation for some important items during last six months
Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups	Weight (%)	Rate of Inflation for the last six months
		August-15	July-15	June-15	May-15	Apr-15	Mar-15
ALL COMMODITIES	100.00	-4.95	-4.05	-2.13	-2.20	-2.43	-2.33
PRIMARY ARTICLES	20.12	-3.71	-3.66	-0.48	-1.05	0.50	-0.17
Food Articles	14.34	-1.13	-1.16	3.12	2.74	5.90	6.27
Cereals	3.37	-1.65	-1.57	-0.39	0.04	0.35	0.00
Rice	1.79	-3.48	-2.86	-1.62	-1.43	-0.04	0.65
Wheat	1.12	2.05	1.96	1.84	2.60	1.65	-1.19
Pulses	0.72	36.40	35.75	36.78	23.10	15.47	13.22
Vegetables	1.74	-21.21	-24.52	-6.82	-4.99	-1.32	9.27
Potato	0.20	-51.71	-49.27	-51.60	-50.71	-41.05	-21.50
Onion	0.18	65.29	-0.49	19.07	22.15	29.97	36.49
Fruits	2.11	-1.34	-4.48	7.60	6.69	15.09	12.56
Milk	3.24	2.08	5.30	5.18	6.89	7.42	7.48
Egg, Meat & Fish	2.41	3.30	2.52	-2.25	-4.04	4.01	2.62
Non-Food Articles	4.26	-0.69	-0.74	1.16	-0.96	-2.90	-6.94
Fibres	0.88	-9.72	-10.53	-11.63	-12.08	-13.77	-18.91
Oil Seeds	1.78	-2.52	-0.89	3.06	-0.64	-1.52	-1.26
Minerals	1.52	-28.31	-26.32	-27.64	-26.50	-28.62	-29.58
FUEL & POWER	14.91	-16.50	-12.81	-8.86	-9.43	-12.98	-12.23
Liquefied petroleum gas	0.91	-5.32	-5.02	-4.85	-4.95	-6.06	-7.92
Petrol	1.09	-13.26	-13.33	-7.10	-9.20	-17.32	-17.70
High speed diesel	4.67	-24.54	-16.75	-9.86	-9.77	-14.99	-12.11
MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS	64.97	-1.92	-1.47	-0.77	-0.52	-0.45	-0.19
Food Products	9.97	-2.17	-1.77	-0.46	-0.29	-1.05	0.59
Sugar	1.74	-19.06	-17.48	-13.26	-11.17	-8.76	-4.85
Edible Oils	3.04	1.44	1.71	2.83	0.82	-1.23	-1.16
Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Product	1.76	2.38	3.10	3.99	4.20	2.94	3.83
Cotton Textiles	2.61	-4.54	-4.63	-4.96	-5.38	-4.77	-4.37
Man Made Textiles	2.21	-3.20	-2.55	-1.03	-0.81	-1.71	-1.78
Wood & Wood Products	0.59	6.78	6.57	5.24	5.14	1.69	1.23
Paper & Paper Products	2.03	3.06	2.54	2.54	2.61	2.74	3.59
Leather & Leather Products	0.84	-1.09	-2.43	-0.96	-0.14	-1.45	-2.53
Rubber & Plastic Products	2.99	-1.59	-0.80	-0.33	-0.47	-1.07	-1.07
Chemicals & Chemical Products	12.02	-1.82	-1.69	-1.17	-1.18	-1.37	-1.11
Non-Metallic Mineral Products	2.56	2.57	2.77	4.62	4.88	6.96	6.69
Cement & Lime	1.39	1.85	1.20	4.95	5.19	7.68	8.29
Basic Metals Alloys & Metal Product	10.75	-7.56	-5.98	-4.91	-4.01	-3.06	-3.40
Iron & Semis	1.56	-12.75	-10.52	-9.67	-7.91	-5.66	-6.29
Machinery & Machine Tools	8.93	0.15	0.37	0.52	0.90	1.05	1.35
Transport Equipment & Parts	5.21	1.25	1.25	1.18	1.40	1.33	1.10

RC/nb

Wholesale price inflation turns negative, reflecting broad-based declines led by fuel and manufactured products. The Wholesale Price Index (base 2004-05=100) declined month-on-month in August 2015 to 176.7 (provisional), producing a negative annual WPI inflation rate of -4.95%. Primary Articles rose driven by food price increases, while Fuel & Power fell sharply-led by lower furnace oil, aviation turbine fuel, diesel and petrol-contributing significantly to the overall decline. Manufactured Products edged down with mixed subgroup movements; the release details commodity-level drivers and provides build-up inflation for the financial year and a finalized revision for June 2015.