India’s wholesale inflation rose to 9.87% in June as food prices, mineral oils and basic metals became costlier. Retail inflation also moved higher, signalling persistent price pressures across the economy.
Highlights
- Wholesale inflation (WPI) increased to 9.87% in June from 9.68% in May.
- Higher prices of food articles, mineral oils, basic metals and chemicals drove the increase.
- Food articles inflation rose to 5.49% from 3.60% in May.
- Fuel & power inflation stayed high at 27.41%, though lower than 30.33% in May.
- WPI Food Index jumped to 6.14% from 4.49%, indicating rising food costs.
- Retail inflation (CPI) also increased to 4.38% in June, reflecting broader inflationary pressures.
Story (Around 400 words)
India’s wholesale inflation continued its upward trend in June 2026, with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rising to 9.87%, up from 9.68% in May. The increase was mainly driven by higher prices of food articles, mineral oils, basic metals, and chemicals, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The latest figures suggest that price pressures remain strong across several key sectors of the economy. Rising wholesale prices often increase production costs for businesses and can eventually influence retail prices paid by consumers.
The WPI for all commodities stood at 110.2 in June compared with 109.9 in May. The data comes just a day after the government reported that retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), climbed to 4.38% in June from 3.93% in May. Consumer food inflation also increased to 5.32%, indicating that households continue to face higher food bills.
Among the major components of wholesale inflation, primary articles inflation rose sharply to 7.0% from 4.99% in May. Food articles inflation increased to 5.49%, while non-food articles inflation climbed to 11.07%, reflecting broad-based price increases.
The fuel and power category remained one of the biggest contributors to inflation, recording 27.41% inflation in June. Although this was lower than May’s 30.33%, prices of mineral oils remained significantly elevated at 46.48%. Inflation in crude petroleum and natural gas also moderated but stayed high at 34.75%.
Inflation in manufactured products remained unchanged at 7.48%, suggesting that factory-level price pressures remained stable. However, prices of manufactured food products, textiles, and basic metals continued to rise, adding to overall inflationary trends.
The WPI Food Index, which combines primary food articles and manufactured food products, rose to 6.14% in June from 4.49% in May, highlighting increasing food price pressures across the supply chain.
The government also released provisional Output Producer Price Index (PPI) estimates, showing the all-India Output PPI at 109.9 in June, slightly higher than 109.6 in May. Economists will closely monitor upcoming inflation data to assess whether elevated wholesale prices begin to exert greater pressure on retail inflation and influence future monetary policy decisions.
