Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry

14-September-2011 11:40 IST

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

The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05 = 100) for the month August, 2011 rose by 0.6 percent to 154.9 (Provisional) from 154.0 (Provisional) for the previous month.

INFLATION

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 9.78% (Provisional) for the month of August, 2011 (over August, 2010) as compared to 9.22% (Provisional) for the previous month and 8.87% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation in the financial year so far was 3.61% compared to a build up of 3.52% 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 199.6 (Provisional) from 197.9 (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 Articles' group rose by 0.5 percent to 193.7 (Provisional) from 192.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of fish-inland (15%), ragi (8%), gram (6%), poultry chicken and rice (2% each) and maize, coffee, bajra, masur and pork (1% each).  However, the prices of fish-marine (5%), urad (4%), arhar (3%) and fruits & vegetables, barley and wheat (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Non-Food Articles ' group rose by 3.0 percent to 181.1 (Provisional) from 175.8  (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of  flowers (12%), gaur seed (11%), coir fibre, raw cotton and  safflower (7% each), rape & mustard seed, groundnut seed, cotton seed and castor seed (4% each), fodder, niger seed, soyabean and raw silk (3% each) and copra and linseed (1% each).  However, the prices of raw rubber (4%), sunflower (2%) and raw jute (1%) declined.

The index for 'Minerals' group declined by 0.4 percent to 306.6 (Provisional) from 307.7 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of barytes (16%), magnesite (12%), zinc concentrate (9%), iron ore (4%), sillimanite (3%) and crude petroleum (1%).  However, the prices of copper ore (17%), bauxite (8%), limestone and dolomite (4% each) and steatite (1%) moved up.

FUEL & POWER (Weight 14.91%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.8 percent to 167.0 (Provisional) from 165.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of furnace oil (6%), naphtha (4%), light diesel oil (3%) and bitumen, aviation turbine fuel and lubricants (2% each).

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.97%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.4 percent to 138.3 (Provisional) from 137.7 (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 rose by 0.6 percent to 150.4 (Provisional) from 149.5 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of ghee (7%), powder milk and oil cakes (3% each), sugar confectionary, mustard & rapeseed oil, sooji, copra oil, groundnut oil and soyabean oil (2% each) and mixed spices, sunflower oil and gur (1% each).  However, the prices of tea leaf (unblended) and tea dust (unblended) (3% each) and vanaspati, processed prawn and tea leaf (blended) (1% each) declined.

The index for ‘Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products’ group rose by 0.9 percent to 163.3 (Provisional) from 161.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of chewing tobacco (scented or not ) (14%) and cigarette (2%).

The index for 'Textiles' group declined by 1.8 percent to 128.3 (Provisional) from 130.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of cotton yarn (7%), jute yarn (5%) and jute sacking cloth, man made fibre, jute sacking bag and cotton fabric (1% each).  However, the prices of gunny and hessian cloth (8%) and woollen textiles (5%) moved up.

The index for 'Wood & Wood Products' group rose by 0.6 percent to 162.5 (Provisional) from 161.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of  processed wood and plywood & fibre board (1% each).

The index for 'Paper & Paper Products' group declined by 1.1 percent to 131.0 (Provisional) from 132.4 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of card board (11%), corrugated sheet boxes (3%), printing and writing paper (2%) and kraft  paper & bags (1%).  However, the prices of laminated paper (3%) and newsprint and maplitho paper (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Leather & Leather Products' group declined by 0.2 percent to 129.9 (Provisional) from 130.1 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of leathers (1%).  However, the prices of leather garments & jackets (2%) moved up.

The index for 'Rubber & Plastic Products' group rose by 0.3 percent to 133.6 (Provisional) from 133.2 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of rubber products (1%).

The index for 'Chemicals & Chemical Products' group rose by 0.9 percent to 133.0 (Provisional) from 131.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of distemper and paints (7% each), non-cyclic compound and explosives (3% each), toilet soap (2%) and tooth paste / tooth powder, pesticides, basic inorganic chemicals, polymers, di ammonium phosphate, basic organic chemicals, antacid and digestive preparations and vaccines (1% each).  However, the prices of safety matches/ match box (4%) declined.

The index for 'Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group declined by 0.3 percent to 149.4 (Provisional) from 149.9 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of white cement (4%), marbles (3%) and slag  cement and grey cement (1% each).  However, the prices of bricks & tiles and glass bottles & bottleware (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products' group rose by 1.6 percent to 153.4 (Provisional) from 151.0 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of gold & gold ornaments (14%), steel (12%), copper wire (all types) (10%), silver (4%), sponge iron (3%), pig iron (2%) and melting scrap, copper / copper ingots,     iron & steel wire, pencil  ingots, rounds, rebars, sheets, hrc, fixtures, wire rods, crc and joist & beams (1% each).  However, the prices of  nuts/bolts/screw/ washers (10%) and metal containers, copper products (other than wire), ferro manganese and aluminium (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Machinery & Machine Tools’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 124.3 (Provisional) from 123.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of earth moving machinery (6%), computers and transformer (4 % each), ball/roller bearing (3%), grinding /wet coffee machinery, textile machinery and harvester (2% each) and electric switches, lamps, fibre optic cable, electric motors and insulators (1% each).  However, the prices of electric switch gears, plastic machinery, electric motor starters and machine tools (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Transport, Equipment & Parts' group rose by 0.3 percent to 124.3 (Provisional) from 123.9 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of parts of ships/boats etc. (7%), bi-cycles (2%) and auto parts and tractors (1% each).  However, the prices of railway brake gear (1%) declined.

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

For the month of June, 2011 the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 153.1 as compared to 152.4  (Provisional) andannual rate of inflation based on final index stood at 9.51 percent as compared to 9.44 percent (Provisional) reported on 16.08.2011.

Next date of press release: 14/10/2011 for the month of September, 2011

Annexure-I

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

DS/gk