New Delhi, March 16 (UNI) The annual rate of inflation based on the All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is 2.13pc (provisional) for the month of February 2026 (over February 2025), an official statement said here on Monday.
The positive rate of inflation is driven due to increase in prices of other manufacturing, manufacture of basic metals, non-food articles, food articles and textiles.
On a month-on-month basis, the WPI increased by 0.25 per cent in February compared with January, indicating a mild upward movement in wholesale prices during the month.
Among the three major components of the index, the primary articles group, which has a weight of 22.62 per cent, witnessed a 0.52 per cent decline in February compared to the previous month. The fall was mainly due to lower prices of food articles and minerals.
Within the primary articles segment, food articles declined by 1.33 per cent, while mineral prices fell by 1.21 per cent during the month. However, crude petroleum and natural gas prices increased by 4.17 per cent, and non-food articles rose by 0.83 per cent, partially offsetting the decline.
The fuel and power category, which carries a weight of 13.15 per cent, recorded a 1.17 per cent increase during February compared with January. The rise was mainly attributed to higher prices of mineral oils, which increased by 2.05 per cent during the month.
However, electricity prices declined marginally by 0.27 per cent, which moderated the overall increase in the fuel and power group. On a year-on-year basis, inflation in the fuel and power segment remained negative at around – (minus) 3.78 per cent, reflecting lower fuel prices compared to the same period last year.
The manufactured products group, which has the highest weight of 64.23 per cent in the WPI basket, registered a 0.47 per cent increase in February over the previous month.
Out of the 22 industry groups under manufactured products, 16 groups recorded an increase in prices, while five groups witnessed a decline during the month.
Sectors that reported price increases included the manufacture of food products, textiles, electrical equipment, chemicals and chemical products, and other manufacturing activities. At the same time, some sectors such as computer, electronic and optical products, basic metals, fabricated metal products, wood products and leather products recorded a decline in prices.
