India’s provisional consumer price inflation rate rose to 4.87% in May, data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation showed on Tuesday. This is higher than the final figure of 4.58% for April.
The retail inflation rate in urban areas was 4.88% in May, against 4.42% in April. In rural areas, retail inflation stood at 4.72% in May, compared to 4.67% in April. The Consumer Food Price Index showed an inflation of 3.10% in May, compared to 2.80% in April.
Fruit prices rose the most in May, by 12.33%. On the other hand, prices of pulses declined by as much as 11.57%.
Retail inflation was highest in West Bengal, at 8.18%, and the lowest in Delhi, at 2.47%, the data showed.
Industrial production
India’s industrial output grew by 4.9% in April compared to the same month last year, government data showed on Tuesday. The factory output had grown by 4.4% in March, the slowest expansion rate in five months.
Manufacturing grew at 5.2% in April, compared to 4.4% in March. Mining grew at 5.1% as against 2.8% in March, and electricity at 2.1% as against 5.9%.
As many as 16 out of 23 industry groups in the manufacturing sector showed positive growth in April, with the group “manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products” recording the highest of 27.5%. On the other hand, “other manufacturing” showed a growth rate of -30.7%, the same as in March.
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