India’s retail inflation rose to 7.79% in the month of April, driven by high prices of food and fuel, government data showed on Thursday. The price rise indicator is at its highest level in eight years, The Hindu reported.
In March, retail inflation was at a 17-month high of 6.95%.
Retail inflation has now remained above the limit prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India for four straight months. The central bank aims to keep retail inflation within the range of 2% to 6%.
In April, food inflation rose to 8.38% from 7.68% in March.
Among food items, the highest level of inflation was registered in oils and fats (17.28%), followed by vegetables (15.41%). The states that recorded the highest rates of inflation in April were West Bengal (9.12%), Madhya Pradesh (9.10%) and Haryana (8.95%).
Industrial production grows by 1.9%
Meanwhile, the growth of industrial production in India was recorded at 1.9% in March, data released by the government on Thursday showed. In February, industrial growth had risen by 1.7%.
The manufacturing sector’s output grew 0.9% in March. Mining output rose 4% and power generation increased 6.1%.
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