Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry

14-June-2011 11:41 IST

Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices in India (Base: 2004-05=100). Review for the month of May, 2011 

The official Wholesale Price Index for 'All Commodities' (Base: 2004-05 = 100) for the month May, 2011 rose by 0.7 percent to 151.7 (Provisional) from 150.6 (Provisional) for the previous month. 

INFLATION 

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 9.06% (Provisional) for the month of May, 2011 (over May, 2010) as compared to 8.66% (Provisional) for the previous month and 10.48% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation in the financial year so far was 1.47% compared to a buildup of 2.05% 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 0.3 percent to 192.1 (Provisional) from 191.6 (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 Articles' group rose by 1.6 percent to 186.5 (Provisional) from 183.5 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of jowar (10%), barley (8%), bajra (4%), fish-marine, fruits & vegetables and milk (3% each), fish-inland, condiments & spices and ragi (2% each) and mutton, pork, maize and urad (1% each).  However, the prices of poultry chicken and masur (5% each), arhar (3%) and moong, tea, gram and wheat (1% each) declined. 

The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group declined by 4.4 percent to 184.5 (Provisional) from 192.9  (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of logs & timber (17%), raw cotton (16%), fodder (10%), raw silk (7%), raw rubber (5%), sunflower and castor seed (3% each), safflower and gingelly seed (2% each) and gaur seed (1%).  However, the prices of flowers (22%), mesta, groundnut seed and rape & mustard seed (3% each), raw jute (2%) and copra, coir fibre, soyabean and linseed (1% each) moved up. 

The index for 'Minerals' group rose by 1.1 percent to 266.7 (Provisional) from 263.9 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of zinc concentrate (39%), steatite (17%), magnesite (10%), barytes (4%),  iron ore (2%) and bauxite (1%).  However, the prices of sillimanite (23%) and chromite (5%) declined.

FUEL & POWER(Weight 14.91%) 

The index for this major group rose by 0.3 percent to 160.4 (Provisional) from 159.9 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of lubricants (5%), petrol, light diesel oil and bitumen (4% each), furnace oil and lignite (2% each) and aviation turbine fuel (1%).  However, the prices of coke (6%) declined. 

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS(Weight 64.97%) 

The index for this major group rose by 1.0 percent to 137.2 (Provisional) from 135.8 (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 rose by 1.2 percent to 147.5 (Provisional) from 145.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of copra oil, rice bran oil and tea leaf (unblended) (13% each), gur (10%), tea leaf (blended) (7%), groundnut oil and ghee (3% each), cotton seed oil, sunflower oil and palm oil (2% each) and soyabean oil, canned fish, mixed spices and gingelly oil (1% each).  However, the prices of tea dust (unblended) (3%), sooji (rawa), sugar and oil cakes (1% each) declined. 

The index for 'Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products' group rose by 0.3 percent to 155.1 (Provisional) from 154.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of dried tobacco (3%), rectified spirit (2%) and IMFL-blended (1%).

The index for ‘Textiles’ group rose by 2.5 percent to 133.8 (Provisional) from 130.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of cotton yarn (6%), cotton fabric (5%), jute sacking bag (4%), gunny and hessian cloth (3%), tyre cord fabric (2%) and jute yarn and man made fabric (1% each).  However, the prices of man made fibre, jute sacking cloth and woollen textiles (1% each) declined. 

The index for 'Wood & Wood Products' group rose by 1.7 percent to 154.4 (Provisional) from 151.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of plywood & fibre board (3%). 

The index for 'Paper & Paper Products' group rose by 0.5 percent to 130.4 (Provisional) from 129.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of paper cartons / boxes (4%), cream  laid woven paper and kraft  paper & bags (2% each) and newsprint, maplitho paper and paper for printing / poster (1% each).  However, the prices of paper rolls (5%) and newspaper (2%) declined. 

The index for 'Leather & Leather Products' group rose by 0.9 percent to 126.5 (Provisional) from 125.4 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of leather footwear (2%). 

The index for 'Rubber & Plastic Products' group rose by 0.4 percent to 133.6 (Provisional) from 133.1 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of tubes (2%) and tyres (1%).  However, the prices of   rubber products (1%) declined. 

The index for 'Chemicals & Chemical Products' group rose by 1.0 percent to 131.3 (Provisional) from 130.0 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of non-cyclic compound (4%), pigment & pigment intermediates (3%), basic inorganic chemicals, agarbattis, di-ammonium phosphate, explosives, basic organic chemicals, ayurvedic medicines and hair / body oils (2% each) and safety  matches/ match box, adhesive &  gum, pesticides, turpentine oil, urea and washing powder (1% each).  However, the prices of polymers and rubber chemicals (2% each) and dye & dye intermediates (1%) declined. 

The index for 'Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group rose by 0.7 percent to 149.4 (Provisional) from 148.3 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of asbestos corrugated sheet and slag  cement (2% each) and grey cement (1%).  However, the prices of white cement (3%) declined. 

The index for 'Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products' group rose by 0.6 percent to 149.7 (Provisional) from 148.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of silver (10%), sponge iron (7%), gold & gold ornaments  and pipes/tubes/rods/strips (4% each), furniture and melting scrap (3% each), steel rods and joist & beams (2% each) and copper wire (all types), slab, CRC, billets, pig iron, pencil  ingots, steel structures, aluminium, rounds and pressure cooker (1% each).  However, the prices of copper / copper ingots and nuts/bolts/screw/ washers (3% each) and steel castings, copper products (other than wire), iron castings, brass, ferro chrome and steel: pipes & tubes (1% each) declined. 

The index for 'Machinery & Machine Tools' group rose by 0.3 percent to 124.0 (Provisional) from 123.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of UPS / stabilizer (8%), control equipments (6%), lifts, magnets, ball/roller bearing and fibre optic cable (3% each), chemical plant equipments, communication equipments and textile machinery (2% each) and compressors, batteries and industrial valves (1% each).  However, the prices of electric motor starters (5%), fluorescent tubes (3%), pump & assembly (2%) and computers, electric switch gears, hydraulic equipment and electrical pumps (1% each) declined. 

The index for 'Transport, Equipment & Parts' group rose by 1.8 percent to 124.9 (Provisional) from 122.7 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of railway brake gear (8%), motor vehicles (5%),  tractors (4%), railway  axle & wheel (3%), auto rickshaw / tempo / matador and auto parts (1% each).  However, the prices of bus / mini bus / truck (2%) and bi-cycles (1%) declined. 

FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, 2011 (BASE YEAR: 2004-05=100) 

For the month of March, 2011 the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 149.5  as compared to 148.6 (Provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at 9.68 percent as compared to 9.04 percent (Provisional) reported on 15.04.2011. 

Next date of press release: 14/07/2011 for the month of June, 2011

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)

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DS